Nsoki: "I want to help the team" | OneFootball

Stanley Nsoki is the France expert in the TSG Hoffenheim squad. The Frenchman played 48 Ligue 1 matches and represented the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and OGC Nice. Prior to the Europa League match against Olympique Lyon (Thursday at 21:00 CEST / Live Ticker at tsg-hoffenheim.de), the defender spoke about his development, the game against his countrymen and setbacks.

Stanley, you've personally experienced some difficult phases at TSG, now things are going much better. What's that down to?

"I'm concentrating on playing simply on the pitch. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself but rather just do my job. Defend solidly and not make any mistakes. In the end I will give my best in order to help the team – both defensively and offensively too. I also want to bring this stability onto the pitch in the course of the coming weeks. If I manage to do that, that's the best way for me to help the team."

In the past, you have repeatedly had to cope with sporting setbacks. How do you deal with that?

"Everyone knows that not everything has been easy since I've been at TSG. It is also legitimate to then ask questions. But we've found answers together. You first need to work on yourself when things aren't going well. Everyone plays a part in that and has to assume responsibility – me too. I'm delighted that I can play for Hoffenheim. I think that it's an ongoing process and that you never stop learning. I want to have fun on the pitch and help the team."

You were red-carded in the game against Bremen with the scoreline at 3-0 and TSG went on to lose 4-3. How do you feel about that?

"I was of course disappointed but I only wanted to help. As a defender, it is sometimes also the right move to commit an emergency foul. It unfortunately went wrong in this case. I was very disappointed that we lost the match. But I'm an optimist and I see the glass more as being half full. I wanted to show the coach that I will do everything in my power to perform better. Fortunately, I have succeeded."

You're up against Olympique Lyon on Thursday. What does it mean to you to play against a team from your homeland?

"I'm used to it, of course, and have played against Lyon many times. I used to do that in the league in the past. It will be a game like any other for me. I played with Clinton Mata at Bruges and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. But on the pitch, everything will be factored out. We don't care who the opponent is, we want to achieve our objectives as a team."

Does it help on the pitch to speak the same language as the opponent?

"I'm also understanding more and more on the pitch in Bundesliga matches. But when I'm on the pitch, I concentrate on myself and not on the opposition. I'm not the kind of person who intimidates the opponent with trash talk or something like that. So I actually don't care what language the opponents speak on the pitch."