“We need to play to our limits” - Marco Russ interview

Marco, the 2017/18 season enters its final straight after the international break. Have you set yourselves new targets yet?

Marco Russ: “We secured our survival a while ago but we still have some tough games coming up, particularly away from home. If we keep on gathering points at our current rate we can definitely achieve something. When you spend the entire season near the top of the table you don’t want to end up in eighth or ninth place. Then all the hard work will have been for nothing. We have a great opportunity that we don’t want to let slip from our grasp. [Former Eintracht midfielder] Uwe Bein was spot on when he said that qualifying for Europe would be like winning the title for us, but in order to do so we need to keep working hard and play to our limits.”

You’re up against Werder Bremen on Easter Sunday. What sort of game are you expecting?

Marco Russ: “It’ll be an intense game with plenty of challenges. Werder are strong at home - they’ve hardly dropped any points in front of their own fans of late. It’ll be very difficult, but it’s about time we picked up points away from home again.”

What do you need to do to get a result at Bremen?

Marco Russ: “We need to reproduce the qualities that have set us apart in recent months. We’ll need to work hard, be strong in the tackle and use the ball well. First and foremost, though, we need to be solid, because Bremen will try to stamp their physical presence on the game at the earliest opportunity.”

How do you assess your current role in the team? There has been plenty of rotation in defence, no-one is guaranteed a place in the starting XI...

Marco Russ: “None of us should ever be guaranteed a starting berth. That’s when your performances start to drop. David [Abraham] is our undisputed leader at the back, so he doesn’t really count. When Makoto [Hasebe] is fit there’s only room for one more player in our back three. That’s a good thing, though. We’ve been very consistent and none of us have let our standards slip. We now have quality across the board, which we were maybe lacking a bit in recent years.”

Is this the best team you’ve ever played in?

Marco Russ: “You could say that, yes. We had a very strong team a few years ago with Sebi Jung and Pirmin Schwegler. These days, it’s our spirit and passion that set us apart. We all get on really well in the dressing room - we have a great mix of characters. I can’t remember playing for anyone with a stronger team spirit.”