Marvin Matip: "Hoffenheim have a clear concept"

Marvin, what do you make of the label ‘late bloomer’?

Marvin Matip: I hope that it is not being put onto me! (laughs) In terms of football, it would be a player who arrives in the Bundesliga a little later in his career.

You played almost 50 times in the Bundesliga before you joined Ingolstadt, but it would not be unfair to say that your major breakthrough came over last season…

Matip: Last season was perhaps my most successful period, but I had already picked up a lot of experience with Bochum and Köln. If as a young player you do not have much attention around you, but still play in the Bundesliga, that should not be underestimated. That being said, it is something else entirely to lead a team as captain in a Bundesliga game.

There were quite a few changes for the team over the summer, most notably the head coach. What effects have there been from the change and what was it that gave you a successful pre-season?

Matip: The spine of the team has remained together and our way of playing has not changed particularly. There have been a few small changes but the basic overriding concept is the same, as ist he attitude and morale of the team.

Will you be perceived differently in your second year in the league compared to last season?

Matip: I think so, because we earned a lot of respect over last season. Teams no longer underestimate us, they tend to sit back and let us have the ball far less and are more wary of us on the counter. But we will have to see what that means for us over the course of this season.

With just one point from five games so far this season start, things have not gone entirely to plan...

Matip: Of course not. We expected and have deserved more points from the performances we put in. But we know that it is a very long and tough season, and we cannot let the bad start discourage us. We will settle in the end and eventually we will pick up more points.

TSG recently celebrated their first victory of the season and will be coming to the Audi Sportpark with a lot of confidence. What kind of game do you expect?

Matip: A very tight game, as it has always been the case with our other encounters. We are optimistic that we can get the smaller details on our side this time. Hoffenheim have a good team and a clear concept, but we want to do everything to ensure that the points remain in the Audi Sportpark.

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