One of the first things you notice when you first talking with him is his openness to talk about what he loves to do and that is play football. After training I had the chance to ask Maik a few questions. Hope you enjoy.
Tim Harris: So almost half a season with the Eintracht Frankfurt how do you feel amongst the team?
Maik Franz: For me it is really great and been a real positive experience so far. I have no doubt it was the right decision for me to come here to Frankfurt and I am having allot of fun. The team as a whole have great people and a positive attitude. And the fans in Frankfurt are great and it makes the atmosphere on match day so unreal. Eintracht is a very traditional club and the city of Frankfurt loves their team. So for me it has been a very positive experience overall.
After his goal yesterday against Bochum.
TH: Well you kind of answered my second question with your first was going to ask you your thoughts about playing in the stadium in Frankfurt?
MF: Yes of course, it is just great to play here. When I knew I was leaving my last team I knew I wanted play in a professional team with a long standing tradition in the game of football. I also knew that I wanted to work for an organization where the people within the organization lived for the game and for the team and we have that here in Frankfurt. And you see that within the city, and you can feel that within the stadium.
TH: But you also have a higher profile within the press here in Frankfurt when things are not going well among that team than with your former club?
MF: Without a doubt but that is part of the deal when you go to a bigger club and a bigger city that the fans expect bigger and better things from you and you have to do your best to give them all that you have every time you are on the field playing the game. In the end you have to learn to handle this and do what you can to do your best for the team.
TH: Being a fairly new member of the club what do you see from your side that the club could do better?
MF: To be honest we are doing things already to correct the problems we have. The trainer is trying to field the best team to put on the pitch and what is going to work for that game. In the end this takes time. He really gets the best out of each of us but it can take some time to get everything right but I know we are going in the right direction and we will get it. Within the club Bruchhagen has insured that we as a club stay financially stable and fit. That helps us out allot because it allows us as players to focus on our jobs and not the other distractions. The club also has a set plan and a direction they want to take the club and you can see that within the higher management as well as the training team and that is a very positive sign.
TH: And what do you see as the positives within the club from your new member of the team perspective?
MF: As I said before the team has a focused and set direction in which the team is going. There is allot of clubs that do not have this. And for me is very important: The club is debt free and nowadays that is so very important. And you can see that everyone works together to make the club better and to insure we stay on course with our long term goals as a club.
TH: So with this set direction and plan you can see where you fit into the long term of the club?
MF: Of course, I mean you yourself as a player can see that and you just have to assure yourself as a professional player to do your part for the club to make things better in the end for everyone within the team.
TH: Well in the first question you sort of answered this question which was why did you choose to come to Frankfurt?
MF: Yeah I wanted to come to a traditional football club, and I wanted to come to a club that wanted me to be here as much as I wanted to come here and Frankfurt showed that. It is so much better that way than coming to a club and them saying hey lets see what you can do and maybe we will do something with you. Frankfurt said from the beginning I was part of their plan to make things better and I want to do my best to help make that happen.
TH: Big Difference between Frankfurt and your Old Club?
MF: Yes but it is just different because of the long tradition Frankfurt has though Karlsruhe does also but just what is expected from you and the level you must perform to when you are here. I enjoyed my time in Karlsruhe and I am enjoying my time here in Frankfurt.
TH: So what do you hope to bring to the team?
MF: I would like to bring maybe a little more fight to the defense, a little bit more aggressiveness, to win the one on one plays and help bring confidence to other members of the team and to allow us all to grow as a team. We have the talent we just got to put it all together. It will come.
TH: Anything you would like to say to the fans that will receive the newsletter?
MF: I want to say hello to everyone and thank them for their support. I think we as players have to always be thankful of the fans we have that support us and do all they can to support the team and to get information about the team. We could not do what we do without them and I want to thank for that, for their support, through the ups and downs and for making playing in Frankfurt such a great experience for me. Thank you the fan for that and many more years to come.
