Rudy: “I consider it a token of the coach's appreciation”

Sebastian, the number plate on this team bus says ‘EL' instead of ‘RR' this year. Any ideas what it stands for?

(laughs) I would imagine it stands for Europa League, right?

That's correct. As a professional, you need goals to further develop. Markus Babbel set the Europa League as the target for this campaign right from the start of pre-season. Is there already a sense of optimism within the camp?

The coach made his intentions clear when he addressed the team. It hit home for everyone. We're all pulling together and working hard to achieve our goal. I don't just mean the team. From the bus driver to the chefs, you get the feeling that everyone is pushing for the club to reach its target, and we all want to do our bit. We don't want another season like last year.

To be successful, you also need a captain who's going to lead the way. His name is Tim Wiese.,.

...Tim was accepted into the squad straight away and gets respect. He has experience both nationally and internationally. He'll certainly fill the role of captain well, and of course we'll always give him our support.

He will get support from the team council that comprises of yourself, Marvin Compper, Sejad Salihovic, Fabian Johnson and of course Tim Wiese. Were you surprised by the trust shown in you by the manager?

To be honest, I didn't expect it. I consider it a token of the coach's appreciation, and I'm really pleased about it. Obviously there is the added pressure that comes with it, but I've had the honour of wearing the captain's armband for a few friendly matches and I was able to deal with the extra pressure well.

Some people consider it a burden to wear the armband. Did you not have any problems with it at all?

At the beginning, I noticed that more responsibility can be a burden that you carry with you on the pitch. But you get used to being in the public eye pretty quickly. I'm a bit of a quiet guy really. I have to come out of my shell more and help direct the players. That's worked out pretty well in the last few games. Maybe it lay with the armband, but I have to be able to establish myself without it now too.

The competition in defensive midfield is huge. Along with the Brazilian Chris, there are now five players who are fighting for a starting place in the team. How do you see your chances of getting a regular spot in the side for the Bundesliga games?

First of all, it means that every single one of us is scrutinising ourselves in training trying to prove our worth. Everyone is putting in that extra effort because of the competition. At the end of the day, the manager has the final say. He has to decide who is best for the team. I'll try to play my way into the starting eleven, and hope that I continue to get games.

Preparations for the campaign are drawing to a close. What's your summary of the long and intensive pre-season?

We've got another two or three difficult weeks ahead of us, where we have to get everything up and running again. It's been the longest and most difficult pre-season that I've taken part in so far. During the training camp in Füssen, we had to exceed our physical limits, but we've set our sights high and we have to be prepared to give that bit extra.

In two weeks you'll be at Borussia Park trying to get three points. What's the anticipation like ahead of the start of the Bundesliga campaign?

It's huge. There's no doubt that the amateur stadiums have their charm, but the atmosphere in a sold-out Bundesliga stadium is what football is all about. It was a good turning point for us after we played in Mönchengladbach last season. This time though, it's just about coming away with the three points in the bag at the start of the season.

Obviously we have to ask who your tip for the title is…

…Bayern had to deal with a lot of setbacks last season, but I think that they've come out stronger and will go toe to toe with Dortmund for the title. Behind them, it's going to be really tight. I couldn't give a prediction.

And where will Hoffenheim end up?

That's obvious: in the Europa League