Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso previews their UEFA Champions League group stage clash with Salzburg
Courtesy of UEFA
Leverkusen, Germany
Courtesy of UEFA
Leverkusen, Germany
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SportsTranscript
00:00Welcome everyone to our match against Salzburg tomorrow night at 9pm.
00:19I would like to welcome our right-back Arthur and our head coach Xabi Alonso on this special day.
00:26Arthur, you made a great assist on the weekend.
00:30How would you describe your own form and what would a Champions League game mean to you?
00:35It was very good on Saturday.
00:39I was able to help my team-mates.
00:43I trained this flank the whole week.
00:48I am very happy that I was able to help my team.
00:53I feel good about this Champions League game.
00:57I am ready to work a bit more every day.
01:00When the opportunity comes, I have the support of my team-mates and that is very important.
01:12I am ready.
01:16Xabi, Matchday 5 of 8.
01:19How important are the upcoming games and what do you expect tomorrow?
01:23Good day to everyone.
01:25Of course, we know how important it is to have two games at home.
01:36One against Salzburg and the other against Inter.
01:39We are in a good position.
01:41We want to go further.
01:44We want to be strong at home and play well.
01:49We expect a good game tomorrow.
01:53We know Salzburg.
01:56They play with great dynamics and great technique.
02:01Very intense.
02:03At home, we have to show our way and hopefully win.
02:09It could be a very important game.
02:12We want it.
02:15Marlon Ölbach from Sky News.
02:17Hello everyone.
02:18I have a question for the coach.
02:20Unfortunately, you have had even more injury problems.
02:22Jonas Hofmann is injured, Mathieu Therrier is out.
02:25How do you deal with this?
02:27Is this a chance for others, like Arthur, to show even more?
02:30To take on even more responsibility?
02:32I always say the same thing.
02:34Always the whole squad.
02:39Now we have a special situation with six injured players.
02:44Hopefully we will have a few again.
02:47All the players are ready.
02:51We have spoken.
02:53It is a big commitment to play every three days.
02:56Arthur did very well.
02:58Nathan did very well from the start.
03:02We have to play well and have a good impact.
03:06We need everyone for this situation.
03:12Philipp Ahrens from Bild.
03:14I have so much time.
03:16First of all, congratulations on your birthday.
03:18Two questions.
03:20You have a birthday.
03:21You get two questions.
03:23First of all, the most important question.
03:25We can only watch for 15 minutes.
03:27No one is injured.
03:29No one is injured?
03:31No one is injured.
03:33No one is injured so far.
03:35Hopefully tomorrow.
03:37There is no bad news.
03:39You could play?
03:41If Fernando gives me a player, maybe.
03:45But not yet.
03:47Only the coach.
03:49It is not allowed to play.
03:51You had five young players today.
03:53Three of them would be on the B-list.
03:57Havik, Honjeka and Stepanov.
03:59Who is in the squad tomorrow?
04:01All three?
04:03All three.
04:05Okay.
04:09I have a question for Arthur.
04:11First of all, sorry Xabi.
04:13Arthur, you have been in Germany for over a year.
04:17It is a different culture when you come from Brazil to Europe.
04:21How did you get used to it?
04:23Even outside the pitch?
04:25How do you feel here?
04:29I feel very good here in Germany.
04:31I have my family.
04:33They help me too.
04:35We try to have a normal life.
04:39We go for a walk.
04:41We do everything.
04:43I can do that outside the pitch.
04:47It helped me a lot.
04:49I feel very good here.
04:51It is a new life.
04:53It is my new home.
04:55I feel very good here.
04:57Stefan von Hox, please.
04:59Another question for Arthur.
05:01You were injured for almost the entire last season.
05:05How did that affect you?
05:07How did that affect you?
05:09How did that affect you?
05:11How did that affect you?
05:13How did that affect you?
05:15You were injured for almost the entire last season.
05:17Are you in the form you were before the injury?
05:25Are you in the form you were before the injury?
05:27How do you feel?
05:29I feel better now than before the injury.
05:35I feel my body.
05:37I feel my body.
05:39I worked hard.
05:41I worked hard.
05:43I trust myself and my body, and I'm in good shape and I'm ready.
06:05Arthur, a question for you. First of all, congratulations on your German, it's very good.
06:10You come in on Saturday and do this assist in two minutes.
06:14We also heard comments from Brazil.
06:17This assist has been praised a lot.
06:20What does it mean to you? What kind of messages have you received from home?
06:25It's important, and it shows that I can...
06:40It's important to me to receive this compliment.
06:43It shows me that I have the support there, and this is also important.
06:51This assist was a goal for me, because I could help my team-mates.
06:59For me, this is the most important.
07:02First of all, all the best to you, Xabi.
07:07Arthur, a question.
07:09What do you make of the competition on the right-hand side with Jeremy Frimpong or Nathan Teller,
07:14if he plays in that position?
07:24I try to make every day a better opportunity.
07:30I have two friends who play in the same position as me.
07:38It's important.
07:41Every day I learn a bit more from them.
07:46I try to make every day a better opportunity.
07:58Philipp Ahrens, please.
08:00Maybe a question for both of you.
08:03Xabi, you have always praised and praised the relationship between you, the team and the fans.
08:10I had the impression that on Saturday, at the game, the mood,
08:14although the game was very good in the second half,
08:17was not as euphoric or as good as it was before.
08:21Did you notice that on the bench, maybe as a team?
08:25What do you need in such a situation?
08:27You have many injured players, the results were not so good.
08:31What do you need from the fans right now?
08:34We always need the support.
08:39But we also need the energy.
08:43I think that when we feel this positive energy,
08:49in good and bad moments,
08:51they can push us and help us.
08:56It means a lot.
08:58That was the second half.
09:01But especially after 20 minutes,
09:03the situation was a bit...
09:05We were all a bit...
09:07Not in shock, but it was a bit...
09:10It was not an easy moment.
09:14We always want to be strong in this competition.
09:18That we go in the right direction.
09:22I always have this feeling.
09:26But we need it for every game.
09:30Tomorrow is the Champions League.
09:32It is a big challenge, a big goal for this club,
09:36for this team, for everyone.
09:38Also for the fans.
09:40We want to enjoy this competition.
09:42We need to know that every game is very difficult.
09:49And also tomorrow.
09:51We need to enjoy it, but with positive energy.
09:55Frank Lauschet from Radio Leverkusen.
09:59First of all, congratulations on your birthday.
10:02Then the question.
10:04Karničaka said after the game against Heidenheim,
10:09that tomorrow there must be a win.
10:11After the defeat against Liverpool and the undecided Brest,
10:15he said at home, we have to win against Salzburg.
10:18How important is a win for you?
10:20Especially in relation to the table,
10:22that you may come under the top eight
10:24and save yourself some games in the Champions League?
10:27Yes, we want to have a chance to be in the top eight.
10:33It's the next two games at home.
10:37It's very important to win a position in the top eight.
10:43We know that.
10:45But we expect a good result.
10:47Salzburg, as I saw with Pep Blinders,
10:51has a big influence from the RB style,
10:58from the Liverpool style,
11:00with a big dynamic, young players with a big heart.
11:04They want to go further.
11:06They are brave.
11:10We have to be ready.
11:12It's very difficult tomorrow,
11:14almost like in Milan,
11:16where we played.
11:18It's a very interesting game tomorrow.
11:23Stefan van Hox, please.
11:25Xabi, from me too.
11:27First of all, happy birthday.
11:29Two questions about the staff situation.
11:31Last season you used the whole squad.
11:34You rotated a lot.
11:36You got through the season well.
11:38Now it's not possible at all with six injured.
11:40How do you deal with this situation
11:42that you have no alternatives in many positions?
11:45There is one thing.
11:47What happened last year was a bit atypical for a coach.
11:51It was almost like a season when we didn't have too many problems.
11:56Normally that doesn't happen.
11:58I see my colleagues,
12:00maybe blind tomorrow,
12:02and they have problems.
12:04And now we have this problem,
12:06this situation.
12:09We have to be efficient in the decisions.
12:13And we also have to be creative
12:16in deciding what to think,
12:18what we need,
12:20what we can do in these games.
12:22And we can win with this quality.
12:24Of course,
12:26we have to play for three days.
12:28There is a big physical effort.
12:31We can control that.
12:33But
12:36I stay optimistic.
12:40Another question, Stefan?
12:42Yes, I have a follow-up question
12:44about the rotation.
12:46Last season Matej Kovar played regularly in the Europa League.
12:50And he had a certain rhythm through the cup games.
12:53This season he played less international games.
12:57Is he a candidate for tomorrow?
13:00Is that a possibility for him?
13:03Or is the game too important for him right now?
13:07We will see tomorrow.
13:09He played well with the national team.
13:12He had two good games.
13:14He also played well against Elbphilharmonie and Brest.
13:18But we will see tomorrow.
13:22Alexander Wolff from the Cologne Rundschau, please.
13:26Yes, from me again.
13:28Hello and congratulations, Mr. Lonso.
13:31I wanted to ask the organisational question
13:34about how the birthday can be celebrated
13:37in the game preparation.
13:39Is that even possible?
13:41Or only after a victory against Salzburg
13:44that you donate something?
13:52Yesterday was Lukas' birthday too.
13:55Today is my birthday.
13:57So we talked.
13:59We had our moment with the whole team.
14:03It was important to hold this game.
14:07And I have to stay here a little longer.
14:11But today with the family, we celebrate.
14:15We celebrate the victory.
14:18It's not a special plan.
14:21It's simple, but it's important.
14:24We expect 800 fans from Salzburg
14:27in the sold-out home area tomorrow.
14:30I have one more question for Arthur.
14:33As a young player,
14:35when you play in such a team
14:38with so many great players and stars,
14:41which players do you have a special connection to?
14:45Who are your role models?
15:03More for the Latin players.
15:07Our communication is a bit easier.
15:11But we are a family here.
15:15I always talk to Javi, Nathan, Edi, Jona.
15:25We always talk to other players.
15:32Our communication in the dressing room is very good.
15:37And on the pitch?
15:39Do you have a role model on the pitch?
15:42On the pitch?
15:44I don't have a role model from Brazil.
15:48But Ronaldinho was a great player.
15:52He's a role model.
15:58Javi, I have one more question.
16:01Before the international break,
16:05when he was injured,
16:07he was supposed to be back in two weeks.
16:11Now he hasn't trained with the team yet.
16:15Was there a setback?
16:17When can he be back?
16:20No setback.
16:22But it's a part of the hamstrings.
16:29It's a bit delicate for him.
16:34We don't want to go too fast.
16:40We have to wait a few days.
16:44But maybe in a few days we'll wait a bit more
16:49to take a bit more risks.
16:52When we're in this situation,
16:54we have to push a bit more,
16:56all together.
16:58Maybe take a bit more risks.
17:00Until now we were a bit more conservative.
17:03But there is a moment when we have to try.
17:06But not yet.
17:08Maybe in Salzburg.
17:11Bernhard Kastler, ORF.
17:13All the best from Austria.
17:15A question about Salzburg.
17:17You mentioned it earlier.
17:19A very young team.
17:21What did you see?
17:23What kind of team are you waiting for?
17:25I think it's a very young team.
17:27They are a good team.
17:29We saw in Rotterdam.
17:31They showed great personality.
17:34And great will.
17:36That they want to come back
17:39after the defeat against Brest.
17:42Sparta Prague.
17:44And...
17:46I don't remember.
17:48But they showed top level.
17:50Zagreb.
17:52Zagreb, yes.
17:55They showed top level.
17:57Good players.
17:59I think Peplinder's idea is clear.
18:03You can notice.
18:06Yes.
18:07You can notice.
18:09Good idea.
18:11From his influence.
18:13And good players.
18:15They have good control.
18:17And they have good tempo.
18:20They overcome that well.
18:22And we expect a very good match tomorrow.
18:26Philipp Ahrens.
18:28Schabbi, it's halftime
18:30in the new Champions League competition.
18:33There was a lot of talk about the league mode.
18:36About the new format.
18:38How do you like it?
18:40Better than the old group stage?
18:42Because every game is...
18:44You can make a big step tomorrow.
18:46At least in the playoffs.
18:48How do you see it?
18:50I still need...
18:52Maybe until the end of December.
18:54To do a complete analysis.
18:57There are four games left.
19:00We need two more.
19:02Of the...
19:04This year.
19:06It's a bit early.
19:08I want to wait a bit more.
19:11To have a clear and correct idea.
19:14Until now, my feeling is good.
19:17But we will see.
19:19There are still many doubts.
19:22About how everything will work.
19:25So let's wait a bit more.
19:27To see if it's a good change or not.
19:30At the moment...
19:32I have a good feeling.
19:36Okay, thank you.
19:38See you tomorrow.
19:49You