“Expect the same energy and passion” | OneFootball

At the press conference ahead of the St. Pauli match, Albert Riera spoke about both the opposition and his own squad, and their better defensive performances of late.

Bundesliga Matchday 25 will see the Eagles head to the Millerntor Stadium in Hamburg to face St. Pauli on Sunday 8 March (kick-off at 15:30 CET), with the aim of continuing their good recent run of form. At the press conference ahead of the match, head coach Albert Riera spoke about:… the team’s approach: “I said to them at the beginning of the week that we need to play every game with the same energy and passion. That’s what I expect. There are three points up for grabs in every match. St. Pauli are below us in the table but that doesn’t matter. Regardless of whether we’re playing Bayern or St. Pauli, whether there are 70,000 in the crowd or the type of atmosphere you get in St. Pauli, there’s no difference to me between these two away games. And so we’ll be preparing in the same way, we have to be motivated the same way and play the same way, in and out of possession. We treat every opponent with the same respect.”

… Kaua Santos and Michael Zetterer: “They’re two different goalkeepers with different characteristics, and that’s good for us. When I first came to Frankfurt, I chose Kaua as number one, but now unfortunately he’s got injured. Michael has already proved that he can help the team to win matches.” 

… Can Uzun, Michy Batshuayi and Younes Ebnoutalib: “These three are just getting back to training and only non-contact. We’ll be picking up the intensity with them next week.”… Jean-Mattéo Bahoya: “He’s still a young player who doesn’t yet have all that much experience, so we need to help him along. What young players like him need most is self-belief, and that’s what I’m giving him. What I see in him though is not just how fantastic he looks on the ball, but the work he puts in on the flank. Wingers have the ball for one or two minutes a match, so what are they meant to do with the remaining 88 or 89? So that’s why I tell them that when they’re good both in and out of possession, then they’ll be fully rounded players.”

… conceding fewer goals: “Of course first and foremost this is down to how we defend. Every player needs to know exactly what they have to do when they’re not on the ball. We can’t afford to have any doubts when we’re defending. When I took over the coaching duties, this side of things was at a good level – the team was clever, well-structured and fit. But the problem was that they hadn’t won in a long time and the players had mental blocks.  We needed to unblock them, and we have. Not everything was bad beforehand and not everything is right now, but I do want my team to be mentally strong.”