Johannes, St. Pauli are currently 12th in Bundesliga 2. How do you assess your season so far?
“The points are spread pretty evenly across the division – there are only a few points between fourth place and the relegation zone. Unfortunately, we lost our last two games, and we could have picked up points in both of them.”
You’ve made one cameo appearance for the first team since undergoing knee surgery in May. How fit are you at the moment?
“I’m doing well, I’m fit and I’ve been back training with the team for a while. Unfortunately, I’ve only made one appearance so far this season, but I obviously hope that’ll change.”
You made 54 appearances for Eintracht – which was the most memorable?
“I’ve got a lot of positive memories of my time with Eintracht, particularly of the one season under Armin Veh. I remember my first competitive appearance – the Europa League qualifying game against Qarabag in Azerbaijan. We won 2-1 in front of a special crowd.
“I also look back fondly on all the Europa League games I played for Eintracht. That includes the round-of-32 tie against Porto, where we were unfortunate to get knocked out. The next match after that, a 2-1 home win over Stuttgart, also has a special place in my heart.”
Speaking of the Europa League, what do you make of the games at the Commerzbank-Arena and of Eintracht’s success in the competition?
“I’m impressed at how Eintracht have embraced the competition – it’s unlike any other club in Germany, in my opinion. The fans’ enthusiasm is unique and I’m always rooting for them from afar.”
What role will the home supporters play on Wednesday?
“They’ll have a big influence on the game. It’s always special under the floodlights at the Millerntor. It’ll come down to how we use that atmosphere, but you can definitely look forward to a wonderful evening of football.”
How do you approach the game against Eintracht from a tactical perspective?
“I think we’ll need to have a good day and play our own game for the entire 90 minutes. Anything’s possible in a cup tie. I’m really looking forward to playing against my former club. I’m already very excited.”
“The points are spread pretty evenly across the division – there are only a few points between fourth place and the relegation zone. Unfortunately, we lost our last two games, and we could have picked up points in both of them.”
You’ve made one cameo appearance for the first team since undergoing knee surgery in May. How fit are you at the moment?
“I’m doing well, I’m fit and I’ve been back training with the team for a while. Unfortunately, I’ve only made one appearance so far this season, but I obviously hope that’ll change.”
You made 54 appearances for Eintracht – which was the most memorable?
“I’ve got a lot of positive memories of my time with Eintracht, particularly of the one season under Armin Veh. I remember my first competitive appearance – the Europa League qualifying game against Qarabag in Azerbaijan. We won 2-1 in front of a special crowd.
“I also look back fondly on all the Europa League games I played for Eintracht. That includes the round-of-32 tie against Porto, where we were unfortunate to get knocked out. The next match after that, a 2-1 home win over Stuttgart, also has a special place in my heart.”
Speaking of the Europa League, what do you make of the games at the Commerzbank-Arena and of Eintracht’s success in the competition?
“I’m impressed at how Eintracht have embraced the competition – it’s unlike any other club in Germany, in my opinion. The fans’ enthusiasm is unique and I’m always rooting for them from afar.”
What role will the home supporters play on Wednesday?
“They’ll have a big influence on the game. It’s always special under the floodlights at the Millerntor. It’ll come down to how we use that atmosphere, but you can definitely look forward to a wonderful evening of football.”
How do you approach the game against Eintracht from a tactical perspective?
“I think we’ll need to have a good day and play our own game for the entire 90 minutes. Anything’s possible in a cup tie. I’m really looking forward to playing against my former club. I’m already very excited.”
