“Competition is part of professional football”

…the competition for the No1 spot: For myself, it’s the same situation as every season. I’ve experienced it in past years, will have it again this season and will have it in the future as well. It’s part of professional football. I’m up for the challenge and am staying focused on myself. I know what qualities I bring to the table and can draw strength from those. This level of competition helps motivate the entire goalkeeping team. Over the last years, we have been able to let it carry us to another level, where everyone was pushing each other. That will once again be the case this season. The goalkeepers have always gotten on well, which is something that will remain true going forward, even if we will first have to get to know each other, due to Collin, Fernando and Daniel being new to the team. 

…the move up to the Bundesliga: You always have to be willing to improve. My ambition hasn’t waned due to the applause I received last year, and I want to continue to perform and remain an important figure within the team. I want to take this next step and continue to improve, just like the team. That’s what it’s about. The Bundesliga is a different level. The euphoria from last season, coupled with the quality we need for the Bundesliga, should carry us forward. The last season is behind us and we’re now all looking forward to what lies ahead. We have big plans, and that’s what our focus is now on. 

…the structure and hierarchy within the team: Together with the fans, we have been able to achieve something that provides us with plenty of euphoria, both on and off the pitch. Every player who joins us can feel the excitement and the impact of this club. These are the foundations that we now want to build on. Several players who helped build a solid base last season are now tasked with leading the way once again — that includes myself. At the same time, there’s also opportunities for the new players to take up responsibility. At the moment, what matters is which players manage to bring which qualities to the pitch, as that’s how roles and hierarchies develop. It’s still to come, as right now it’s still too early in pre-season. 

"We want to play with intensity for 90 minutes and also manage to control the rhythm of the game better"

…the continued development of their style of play: In certain phases, it’s clear to see what we want to do and how we want to attack and control the game. During the friendlies, it was clear to see where there was still room for improvement: managing to play at a consistent level for 90 minutes and bringing the intensity that we will need in the Bundesliga. That’s what we’re lacking at the minute and it’s what we want to achieve. We want to play with intensity for 90 minutes and also manage to control the rhythm of the game better, in order to be dominant. We’re fully on behind the plan that the coaching staff have presented us with over the last weeks. It’s a very clear and detailed plan and our task is to implement it on the pitch. 

…his impression of the recent friendlies: We always talk about being in the midst of a process. Games like the one against Lyon then show us what we still need to work on. We’re always able to learn a lot from these matches. The coaching staff are very thorough in their analysis. We still have a couple of weeks left and want to use these in order to prepare as best as possible. We will have to make some adjustments to how we play in the Bundesliga. There will be moments where we will be able to find solutions on the ball, but we will also have our target players in mind that we can pick out with long balls. We already had this variability in our game plan in the past. We want to outplay our opponents.