"Hoeness brought us to the brink of despair"

Niklas, on Sunday you will play TSG Hoffenheim in the first round of the DFB Cup. How much are you looking forward to the match?

"The anticipation of being able to play against a Bundesliga team is massive. At the same time, of course, you do think that it will be a very intense game for us. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing Pavel Kadeřábek again, as we shared a lot of success playing together at Sparta Prague a long time ago."

As a Bundesliga side, TSG are the big favourites on Sunday. What do you think of your chances and what kind of game do you expect?

"We still remember the new TSG manager as the coach at Bayern Munich II. There, Sebastian Hoeness brought us to the brink of despair with the way his team plays. At Hoffenheim, he has even better quality players in the squad. So we can assume that we will all be putting up double-digit figures for running. Nevertheless, anything is possible in a cup game. We have nothing to lose. So we will be courageous and determined."

After relegation from the third division, you have started with seven points from the first five games in the Regional League Northeast. How do you rate the start of the season?

"We had a good start with the victory in the Saxony Cup, which gave us confidence. Unfortunately, we couldn't convert it into league victories. But we have managed seven points from the past three games and have steadily improved. Of course, we want to continue that trend now."

At least some of the fans are allowed to enter the stadium on Sunday. How important is the support of the fans for you?

"Especially in a game in which you are inferior to the opponent in many respects, support from the stands can give you extra energy. In general, it's nice to play again in front of a crowd, even if it will be a little unusual to suddenly hear loud cheers again."

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