SPIELFELD
04/15/2024

My first time: David Jurásek

He had to wait a few months for it, but at the end of February, David Jurásek was able to celebrate his first win in the Bundesliga. The Czech, who moved to TSG Hoffenheim on loan from Benfica in the winter, came on as a substitute in the 3-2 win away to Borussia Dortmund. The left-back sat down for an interview to discuss his first few weeks at TSG, the moment of being called off the bench to come on as a substitute, not to mention the standard of play in the Bundesliga.

You celebrated your first Bundesliga victory in Dortmund. How did that feel?

"It was incredible. As a footballer, you savour every win, but your first success in the Bundesliga was something special. And then on the road against a big opponent like Borussia Dortmund. You don't forget that."

You came on for the injured Robert Skov at the start of the second half. Were you nervous about playing in front of a crowd of over 80,000 spectators?

"I didn't have time to get nervous. I wanted to go to warm-up, but I had to be brought on straight away. The second half had only just started. Maybe it helped not to think too much. Dortmund have the biggest stadium in Germany, so that was a special moment."

When you came on as a substitute, Dortmund were leading 2-1. In the end, you won 3-2. How happy were you with your own performance?

"I enjoyed every moment. Of course, there's always room for improvement, but I'm very happy that I was able to play my part in helping us win. For me as a defender, it was important that we didn't concede another goal. Maxi Beier turned the game around for us with a brace."

What do you make of the standard of play in the Bundesliga?

"It's the best league I've played in. Every game is a big game. There are a lot of fans and TSG are never the outright favourites. It was different for me in Prague and Lisbon. I feel very comfortable here, it's a lot of fun."

Has Pavel Kadeřábek helped you settle in?

"I wrote to him before making the move here and he gave me a few tips. He has helped me enormously since the first day. He translates what I'm saying, as my German isn't that good yet. That's made things a lot better for me. I'm very grateful to him for that."

Download Now!
Print Page to top