“It’s about the club” | OneFootball

Interim head coach Dennis Schmitt on opponents TSG Hoffenheim, injuries and Eintracht’s approach against the Sinsheim outfit.

Dennis Schmitt’s Eintracht Frankfurt side welcome third-place TSG Hoffenheim to Deutsche Bank Park on Bundesliga Matchday 19. The game on Saturday 24 January kicks off at 15:30 CET.At Friday’s pre-match press conference, Schmitt answered questions on… … Eintracht’s position: “I’m expecting a very intense encounter between two good teams. Hoffenheim are in very good form at the moment and we’re determined to put an end to that. We want to get the stadium going right from the first few minutes and set the tone – that’s our clear plan. That’s what’s going to be important. We’re not talking about winning a beauty contest, it’s about winning the game. We’re not in a precarious situation. It sometimes feels like we’re on the brink of the relegation places, but we’ve been in worse positions. We don’t need to exaggerate matters, but it’s also clear that the past few weeks have not been up to our standard.”

… the Eagles’ approach: “We want to be proactive and take control of the game, because we have so much quality. We need to generate momentum with and without the ball. Every Bundesliga side has quality in their ranks, so there will be times when we need to defend deeper. We have clear principles in place for that too. We want to be very compact in the middle and defend crosses, which they tend to send towards the far post. When we win the ball, we want to transition even more quickly than we did in Baku.”

… personnel: “Everyone’s available apart from our long-term absentees – we’ve got a large group to choose from. Players who weren’t eligible to play in the Champions League are available again.” 

… Eintracht’s development: “We had two training sessions before the game in Baku and another today. We haven’t had much time, but we’ve made the most of it. We’ve addressed certain issues, talked to the players on the flight back from Baku and analysed the game. We saw glimpses of progress against Qarabağ, particularly in the first half when we applied heavy pressure and equalised after winning the ball back. In the short time we’ve had, we’ve managed to build a good, trusting relationship with the team. It’s about the guys wanting [to perform] and giving it all they’ve got. There are clear tasks, with and without the ball, which the lads need to implement.”

… himself: “It’s not about individual players, individual coaches or individual staff members – it’s about the club. It’s a great privilege to be able to work for a club as big as Eintracht Frankfurt, and that means putting everything else aside and getting the most out of every day. I try to put that into practice with every fibre of my being. I’m going to give my all.”