Philipp Ochs: “We’ll do everything for a home win”

Philipp, are you looking forward to returning to school on Monday?

Philipp Ochs: I’m not too sure about that (laughs). I will have quite a busy schedule again, with school in the mornings - unless there is training - and training sessions with the team in the afternoon. If I miss something in school I will catch up on it with our tutors at TSG.

You’re about to complete your A-Levels…

Ochs: Yes, it’s not that far away anymore. I just want to get it over with and I’m really happy how supportive TSG has been. My parents always insisted that I finish my school and they are right. It’s very important to me.

At the start of the year you signed your first professional contract. What does the signature mean to you?

Ochs: It was a special moment, when I signed the papers in Alexander Rosen’s office. A childhood dream came true for me in that moment. I had finally made it but at the same time I’m also just at the start of my career.

You started posting on Facebook and Instagram in recent weeks. What led you to that decision?

Ochs: I think it’s just part of the business now. I work together with an agency in that regard. I’ve been active on Instagram for a while now and just created a new account. It’s a lot of fun and I look forward to sharing some of my experiences.

You’re still driving around in a small car in Zuzenhausen. Is it your first car and will you be getting a new one after you finish you’re A-Levels?

Ochs: Yes, it is my first car and it was a gift from parents for my 18th Birthday. I won’t be getting a new one after I finish school, as I will still be using this one for a while. My parents don’t need it and perhaps I will pass it on to my brother when he turns 18. Then I’ll buy a new one.

During the international break you recorded good results with Germany’s U19 national team. The ideal ending to your season would most likely be a European Championship triumph in the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena, right?

Ochs: That would be pretty cool, to win the Cup with Germany in TSG’s stadium. But first I still have the big task of keeping TSG in the Bundesliga and that has absolute priority. I will start thinking about the U19 European Championships when the season is over.

Your next Bundesliga game is on Sunday, where you will aim for the fourth straight victory at home…

Ochs: Of course. We still need every point we can get in order to avoid relegation and it would be great to pick up another three points in front of our fans. We will do everything we can in order to make it happen.

What do you expect from the game game Köln?

Ochs: It will be a difficult match against a strong opponent. We will have to fight hard and deliver a good performance. If we do that, I’m confident that we can win. We can’t allow ourselves to sit back and rest on the victories we’ve secured recently - that would be a big mistake. We have to continue going at full throttle. 

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