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Florian Niederlechner: “We have respect for Hoffenheim”
Hello Florian. How happy are you with your start to the season?
Florian Niederlechner: It is never good to be completely satisfied in professional football, but we can feel positive after nine points from our first six games, even though we possibly could have picked up one or two more points. We are a close-knit group that is really hungry for success. I believe that we’ve given a decent account of ourselves in the league so far.
You yourself are still waiting for your first goal after six games. The team is desperate for you to get on the scoresheet. Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself?
Niederlechner: Of course I would really like to get a goal in the Bundesliga and am doing my best to make it happen. Ultimately the same applies to me as the rest of the team: We have to give it everything in every game, then we can stay up and achieve our goals. My aim is of course to play as much as possible and to score.
Why are things not going like they did in pre-season?
Niederlechner: Playing in a friendly is a lot different to playing in a Bundesliga fixture in the Olympiastadion Berlin. But I don’t think that things aren’t going well.
You’ve got nine points so far. You’ve won three games at home but lost four away fixtures. How do you explain this?
Niederlechner: We’ve been playing great in our home fixtures in the Schwarzwaldstadion. I have rarely experienced such an atmosphere at bigger stadiums. The team has a fantastic connection with the fans. We should have already got some points from our away fixtures. We conceded in Berlin in the 95th minute, we conceded goals against Köln from throw-ins and corners and we didn’t make the most of our own chances. If we start playing more aggressively, we can get results away from home.
Next up, TSG Hoffenheim. What do you think about their start to the season so far?
Niederlechner: Hoffenheim have taken a big step forward as a club under Nagelsmann. You can see this through their results. However our manager will make sure we are prepared for the upcoming opponent.
What are your predictions for Saturday?
Niederlechner: We have a lot of respect for Hoffenheim, but we know that with the right attitude we can get something out of the game. We will give it our all and we want to get our first away win of the season.
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