Djourou: "The TSG game will be a challenge"

Three Swiss players, Schwegler, Schär and Zuber, all play at TSG. Do you have contact with them?

Johan Djourou: I know Pirmin Schwegler and Fabian Schär very well from the national team. I am looking forward to seeing them, or in this case, playing against them. I haven’t got to know Zuber, but I’m sure I will do in time.

The last two years have been difficult for Hamburg – you were nearly relegated. How do you see your first two years at the club?

Djourou: It has been a very intense time for every player and also the whole club. We would have liked not have gone through this. Looking back, it probably had an impact on everyone and hopefully the players developed as a result.

How have you turned things around?

Djourou: We are in the middle of a development. We can’t say we have completely turned it around yet. We are now concentrating on the next game are trying to aim for the top with our manager Bruno Labbadia, who makes it very clear to us how important it is to put in hard work every day.

How have you influenced your team as captain?

Djourou: As captain it is my job to lead and to create a positive atmosphere. I have tried to share my experience and will continue to do so to help the team and I will always be a point of contact for young players.

Are you happy with this season, taking the last two into account?

Djourou: No – happy means not wanting to do better. We know that we played well in some of the last 26 games, but there have also been games in which we haven’t played so well. We are obviously more stable than we have been in previous years, but we are lacking consistency. We could have had more points by this stage. We will work on that and want to take the points in Hamburg this weekend.

You’ve only lost one game at home in 2016. Why is it going so well there of late?

Djourou: We always get unbelievable support in the Volksparkstadion from our fans, even in the last two years when we haven’t been playing so well. The fans spur us on and we are happy to bring a positive response into 2016.

TSG are on form away from home. How do you think Hoffenheim’s season is going?

Djourou: I think highly of TSG and they have put in good performances since the managerial swap. If they keep playing the way they are doing, they’ll stay up.

What kind of game do you expect on Saturday?

Djourou: Saturday will be interesting. They are no longer playing like relegation candidates. They’re flexible playing style will be challenge for us to deal with, but the coach will set us up accordingly. I think it will be a good match but an intense one.

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