Interview

Muheim ahead of his 150th HSV appearance: “It means an incredible amount to me”

Left-back Miro Muheim is set to make his 150th competitive appearance for HSV in Heidenheim. In an interview with hsv.de, the Swiss international talked about this milestone, the special match against Bayern in an unfamiliar position and the team’s development.

HSV.de: Miro, you’re on the verge of your 150th competitive appearance for HSV. What goes through your mind when you think about this milestone?

Miro Muheim: 150 is honestly a crazy number. I still can’t quite believe it’s already 150 games. I’m very proud to be reaching that figure with HSV. When I made the move here, of course I wanted to take the next steps in my career, but reaching this milestone in just under four and a half years is something special.

Only two players in the current squad have made more appearances for HSV – Bakery Jatta (225) and Daniel Heuer Fernandes (176). What does that say to you, and what does this club mean to you in general?

It means an incredible amount to me. I really identify with the city, the club and the fans. HSV are a massive club and, over the past few years, this has also become a real home for me.

Your 149th appearance for HSV was a very special one – the 2-2 draw against league leaders and record champions FC Bayern. Looking back now, how do you reflect on that magical night at the Volksparkstadion?

It was a great evening with an incredible atmosphere in the stadium. The excitement before the match was huge, and that made our performance all the more satisfying. We can be really pleased with how we played. It was a lot of fun going toe-to-toe with Bayern and making life difficult for them.

Does it make a difference when you’re standing in the tunnel next to players like Kimmich, Olise or Kane?

You try to approach every game with the same mindset. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t something special to play against top players like that and to be able to show what you can do.

You played in a slightly different role in that match. How was it for you and did you enjoy it?

Playing in midfield was something new for me. The coaches prepared me really well and explained everything clearly. I enjoyed it a lot, because it allowed me to be more involved going forward with the ball, for example by playing a lot of passes from central areas into attack. I also enjoyed the defensive side of it. Our idea was to double up on Olise and take him out of the game, and that worked really well with Willi (William Mikelbrencis).

With the exception of the postponed match against Bayer Leverkusen, you’ve now played every team at least once. In the first three games of the second half of the season, there have been clear improvements compared to the first half. How much confidence does that give you for the challenges ahead?

It should give us a lot of confidence. We’ve really developed as a team, and you can see that progress. Now it’s about pushing ourselves even harder in training and continuing to improve. Games like the recent one against Bayern definitely give us a huge boost for what’s coming next.

Speaking of the upcoming fixtures: in February, HSV only face fellow teams from the bottom half of the table – Heidenheim, Union Berlin and Mainz. What will be key in those matches?

We want to pick up points against those teams – that’s extremely important. In those games, we have to be ready for a battle and mustn’t become impatient if it stays 0-0 for a long time. Instead, we need to keep believing that we can still score late on. At the same time, it’s about bringing our quality onto the pitch, like we did against Bayern.

So far, you’ve mainly been able to show that quality in home matches, but haven’t yet recorded an away win. How much has that been spoken about in the dressing room, and do you have an explanation for it?

I think a lot of it comes down to how amazing our support is from our fans at home. It’s incredible, and you really feel that energy out on the pitch. For us, it’s about taking that same energy and fighting spirit into away games as well. Of course, we want to pick up our first away win in Heidenheim, and I’m convinced we can do it.

HSV’s squad looks quite different this season, with several new faces now part of the group. What do you think of players like Luka Vuskovic, Fabio Vieira and Sambi Lokonga, who are in their first season at the club?

On the one hand, they bring an incredible amount of quality, and on the other, a real willingness to work hard and improve every day. They’re also extremely important for the team off the pitch and have settled in very well. They’re always trying to help wherever they can. They’re top lads we’ve added to the squad.

As one of the leaders in the team, how do you help new signings settle in?

I try to make them feel comfortable with us – in the dressing room, but also away from football. Integration is also about spending time together off the pitch, going out for meals, talking a lot and getting to know each other. In my view, feeling comfortable within the group is absolutely crucial if you want to perform well.

There’s been a lot of movement in the squad this winter, with 13 transfer moves in total. How do you view those changes?

It’s certainly a lot. We already went through something similar in the summer with so many ins and outs, and that experience has made things a bit easier for us this time around. At the same time, a strong core of the squad is still here, and those players help integrate the new signings into our system. The coaching staff and the analysists are doing a top job in that respect. I think the new players quickly understand how we want to play and what our ideas are.

You’ve played the most minutes of any HSV outfielder this season (1,973). You also top many internal rankings and rank highly across the league. How have you personally managed such a smooth transition from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga?

First and foremost, that comes down to the team, my teammates and the coaches. At the start of the season, we all had to get used to the new league and a new playing system. But with everyone’s support and a long and intense pre-season, we put a lot of work in and developed a good feeling for how we can perform at this level. That said, there are still things we want and need to improve, both as a team and individually. I don’t want to get complacent after recent performances, instead I want to keep getting better and help the team become even more successful.

Finally, what are you expecting from your 150th game this weekend in Heidenheim?

We’re facing a tough away match against a team that runs hard and is always up for the fight. That was the case last time out against Dortmund, where they had a lot of strong phases in the game. We’ll need to be patient, make sure we’re well organised against their counter-attacks, and at the same time find ways of breaking them down in the final third.

Maybe you might even score your first Bundesliga goal?

(laughs) Scoring my first Bundesliga goal in my 150th game for HSV would obviously be incredible and a real dream. I do think about the fact that I’m still waiting for that first goal, and I’d definitely like to get it sooner rather than later.