Daichi, how did winning the semi-final, your two goal involvements and your man-of-the-match award make you feel?
“Since I announced I was leaving the club, I’ve really wanted to be there for the team until my final day. The criticism in some quarters was that I wasn’t fully invested, but I want to be there for the team – for Eintracht Frankfurt – until the end of the season. I think I’ve been able to refute the accusations of people who have been saying those things. There is no doubt that I want to put all my efforts into fighting for Eintracht until my final game.”
How do you approach your last four weeks in an Eintracht shirt?
“Being able to help Eintracht [in the cup semi-final] made it a wonderful evening for me. We now have the final and four league games remaining. I hope to be able to help until the last moment so we can finish the season successfully.”
Could Wednesday’s display have lit the proverbial touchpaper for you?
“I haven’t scored in the league for a long time, but the fact I was able to score an important goal for Eintracht at an important time is the result of hard work – both from the club and from myself, starting with training every day. I need to keep this up.”
