In the 2004/2005 season he was promoted to the Bundesliga. Since this time Russ has become a regular player and can play both fullback and defensive midfielder. In January 2008 Marco Russ extended his contract at Frankfurt until 2012. On a cold winter day I had a few minutes to speak to Marco after training. (The picture below shows him on the left, beside him you can see Chris.)
Tim Harris: Hello Marco, ok one of the things I found out while researching for my interview with you is that you have been playing for the Eintracht Frankfurt since you were 11 years old. Was your childhood dream to play for the Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga as a child?Marco Russ: Yes of course. Living here in Hessen with Eintracht Frankfurt being the biggest Football club in the area it was always something I wanted, and I believe it is the dream of any kid that is playing football here in Germany to play in the Bundesliga someday. I also think it was the same for me to want to play by Eintracht as it would be for a kid coming from Munich to want to play for FC Bayern. I feel very lucky that I was able to make this dream to come true.
TH: So now you have to tell me what it was like to walk onto the field your very first home game in the Bundesliga for the Eintracht Frankfurt, actually living your childhood dream?
MR: Of course it was unbelievable playing in front of over 50,000 people. I mean it is a great feeling when you have that many fans standing behind you, but then the negatives when things are going bad to have that many people letting you know they are not happy. But as professionals we have to deal with those things. Walking in for my first game was a dream and I think it is a dream for any kid who plays football.
TH: Oka Nikolov has been by the Eintracht for over 19 years, which means when you were a kid Oka was playing here, what was it like to come here and actually play with someone you looked up to as a child?
MR: Yeah I know every since I have been by the Eintracht as a youngster Oka was in the goal for the Eintracht, and it was amazing to have constant players among the team. I mean he has giving allot to the team and has been and continues to be a very consistent player for the Eintracht and I can only hope that we see him again next year with the team. (Oka Nikolov's contract is up at the end of the season)
TH: You have played a long time in the defense for the Eintracht and allot of changes have been made currently, how do you feel about our defense at the moment?
MR: Well it is nice to have Chris back, and to have him back healthy is a big benefit to us. He is very strong for us and is for sure needed. And I think with all the injuries we have, which I do not think any team in the Bundesliga has more injuries we are doing very well considering that. I think that says allot for the quality of the team for us to have so many people injured and still be where we are.
TH: And with the new players Bellaid or Petkovic, how are they fitting in to the team?
MR: Well Bellaid has played for many years in the higher football class so for him he just has to learn the Bundesliga style of playing. He is learning German very fast and we speak to him in German already. Petkovic has also played his position for a very long time and he just has to really learn the playing style of the Bundesliga, which is something very new to him.
TH: But the Bundesliga is much different than the league in Serbia or in France correct? We see that with Caio, he has the talent but it has taken him a while to learn the Bundesliga style of playing even though the Brazilians are known for the high quality playing.
MR: Of course this is a big difference for players, who play in other leagues and come to the Bundesliga, but it is part of being a professional player and it would be the same if I went to Spain to play. As a professional player I would have to adjust my game to fit that of the Spanish league. I think we have to give the players the times to adjust. You can see Caio is getting better every time he plays and for the other players they are coming along nicely.
TH: It is your plan or wish to stay in Frankfurt your entire career or would you like to eventually go elsewhere?
MR: Well I have a contract with the Eintracht till 2012 and then we will see from there. I would like to maybe go play outside of Germany, like Spain, just to make myself better as a player and to also learn another language. But to change to another team within the Bundesliga I have zero desire. I see no reason to want to leave the Eintracht as you can see the club is getting better and they are investing in the future of the team.
Above: The goal against Koeln (Cologne).
TH: What game do you look forward to playing during the season?
MR: I think for any team to be able to play against Bayern is a high point. When you have the chance to play against Klose, Toni and Ribery I mean how can that not be a highlight for a player. I mean they are one of the top teams not only in the Bundesliga but also in the World. But to play in Hamburg or Schalke with a sold out stadium is also quite an experience.
TH: How do you feel about how the first half of the season has turned out?
MR: I do not think it has gone to well. We have had allot of injuries and many players have not been able to play. I feel we have lost a lot of games that we should not have lost but that is the way it is in the Bundesliga. As a team we want to do better in the second half of the season and we do not want to be close to the relegation places.
TH: Ok my last question as it is with everyone one of my interviews, is there anything you would like to say to the fans from all over the world receiving the newsletter?
MR: I would like to say hello to all the people who receive the newsletter and hope by reading this interview that they have gotten a little bit of how I feel about playing for the team. I want to thank them for their support and hope that they continue to give us that support. And hope even when there are bad games, which is part of playing that they can see the positives and continue supporting the team. I know as a team we give a 100% every time we play and sometimes that is not enough but we must continue to look forward and always play the best we can. Thank you.
