Fabian Schär: "We must rise to new levels"

Fabian, you transferred from Basel to TSG in the summer and will now play against Bayern this coming weekend. Do Basel and Bayern have anything in common?

Fabian Schär: Both teams are dominant in their leagues, almost uncontested. Both teams are confident of winning; it’s just normal. There is a need to win in both clubs, but you can’t forget that Bayern are on a much higher level.

You lost in the first game to Bayern. Will the memories of that influence the game at all?

Schär: We know that even when Bayern are vulnerable, they are a top side. But that doesn’t make a difference. That game was months ago, we now find ourselves in a completely different situation.

You played against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid with Basel. How do you go into a game like this where you are the underdog?

Schär: You have to remember that there is nothing to lose. Everyone thinks you are going to lose. You can play freely and use the game as an opportunity to outdo yourself, both as an individual and a team. But only as a team do you have a chance in these games, only as a team can you beat the very best.

The 1-1 draw was a decent result for you last weekend. What did you think about the game and result?

Schär: I have mixed feelings about it. One point against Leverkusen is okay but shortly after the interval we could’ve been 2-0 up which would’ve given us a good shot at the three. We were also a bit lucky towards the end not to concede. It was a good performance and gives us something to work on for the rest of the season.

You are now involved in a relegation battle, something that is new to you. How do you approach something like this?

Schär: I try to stay calm and not put myself under any pressure. That’s very important I think. We have to remember that confidence comes from good performances. There are still 16 games left and 48 points to play for. We are strong enough to emerge out of this situation so I am confident. The road will be tough but we will do give it our all. Even when there are so many points up for grabs, every game and every goal count. We must deliver.

Do you pay attention to how the others at the bottom of the league do on a matchday or do you focus solely on TSG?

Schär: Of course we are only interested in our own games and our own performance, but we do know what is going on around us. On Sunday, our direct competitors Frankfurt and Bremen both won. Despite the good performance, it wasn’t our day.

In Munich you will have to deal with Lewandowski. Do you prepare for something like that in a specific way?

Schär: No. We know exactly how good the Bayern players are but to concentrate on just Lewandowski would be wrong. He is an unbelievable striker who has everything, but we will all have to rise to new levels to compete with Bayern.

What’s in it for you in the Allianz Arena?

Schär: There are only a few people giving us a chance, but as I said before; we have nothing to lose. We will go out there and give everything we’ve got and then we’ll see. We’re not just going to Munich for the sake of it. It could be a dream day and we’re all ambitious. We want to take something away from it. We saw in the game against Hamburg that Bayern aren’t quite in the formidable form of the first half of the season. Huub Stevens will adjust to the situation at hand.

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