Uduokhai: "It'll come down to small details"

Felix, FC Augsburg and TSG Hoffenheim will kick off their 2021/22 Bundesliga campaigns on Saturday. How excited are you for the season ahead?

"We're of course all looking forward to the fact it's starting up again and that spectators are permitted in the stadium again. My personal pre-season was slightly shorter due to my involvement in the Olympics, but as a footballer you want to play matches and the Olympic Games were a wonderful experience for me."

You were battling relegation for a long time last season. What's your objective for this season?

"We obviously want to start well and pick up the points we need to ensure our survival as quickly as possible. The majority of the team have stayed and we have also brought in very good reinforcements in the form of Niklas Dorsch and Arne Maier, among others. We have the potential to ensure our survival earlier than last time out."

Fans will finally be able to attend again on Saturday. How much are you looking forward to the support from the stands and will the spectators play a role in the game?

"The entire team is obviously hugely excited to play in front of spectators again. Last season, fans were only allowed in the stadium for our home game against Borussia Dortmund, which we won 2-0. It might have only been 6,000 fans, but in that game the spectators carried us to victory. I hope that will be the case again on Saturday."

You recorded a 4-2 victory away to Greifswalder FC in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, but struggled for long periods. What do you still need to work on?

"Some top-flight clubs struggled in the first round. The game of course got off to an unfortunate start for us with the early goal we conceded, but we then improved and in the end deservedly moved into the second round. There's always room for improvement at this stage of the season; that applies to every team."

TSG Hoffenheim also had a hard time of it away to Viktoria Cologne in the cup on Monday and won 3-2 after extra-time. What kind of match are you expecting?

"I don't think that the cup will have any major bearing on the game on Saturday. I'm expecting a very close and intense game that will be decided by small details. We know that we'll be up against a very strong footballing side in Hoffenheim, but with our fans behind us we obviously want to start off the season with a victory."

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