Interview
Nuri Sahin is "very satisfied" with the training camp
Nuri Sahin on the training camp:
"I'm very satisfied. We've been able to train in a greater scope than I expected because the boys have done very, very well in terms of regeneration, meaning that we've kept being able to go up a notch. I consider us to be further along than I expected."
…the work with the team so far:
"We've known since day one what we want to do with this team. It's always a matter of repetitions, it's mostly about training, training volumes, training matches, training analysis. We see something good, something bad and then we analyse that. I'm not saying this now to praise my team, but I did think that we would need a bit longer – if only because of the EUROs – but my boys are taking it in their stride. It is of course also good for us that we have intelligent players and that we have brought more in. Pascal Groß and Waldemar Anton – you don't have to explain all that much to them. The lads who were at the EUROs know the procedures too."
…the atmosphere in the team:
"The mix is right. There's a lot of laughter. But when we get down to work, we work. The lads are managing this switch really well right now. They're very focused in the meetings. But we're also overloading them at the moment. We're doing almost all of what we did with the boys over the first three weeks in the space of one week with the international players. They're taking it all in really well."
…the integration of the new signings:
"It's always important which player comes in. You don't have to integrate Pascal Groß and Waldemar Anton, they're simply already part of it. You also don't need to integrate Serhou. He speaks German, English and French. He knows the league, he knows the boys. He has played against all of them or with them at least once. In Yan Couto's case, it is important that we integrate him because the boy has come from Brazil at 22. He does not speak our language. And there we have to lead by example of course. Several of the lads have looked after him and I think that's great."
…the role :
"I will not carry it out any differently than I did at Meinerzhagen or Antalyaspor. I did the training that we're doing here in Meinerzhagen too. But I'm aware of the big club at which I'm now the coach. Nonetheless, it's about football. I am the head coach of Borussia Dortmund and my job is on the pitch, in the changing rooms, in the analysis room, in one-on-ones. But I also know that my word now carries more weight and makes bigger waves. However, I'm approaching it in a relaxed manner and am happy."
…the competition in the Bundesliga:
"The Bundesliga is getting better, that's clear. In the Bundesliga, however, we also have the objective to be better. And Borussia Dortmund's goal is always to compete for titles. I'm not going to stand here and promise one thing or the other. What I can promise is that we will go into every match to win it. And it would also be cool if we picked up more points against the top four this year. That would also then increase the probability with the other mission. And we're ready. We're ready to compete. We want to test ourselves against the best in Europe and in Germany. Our squad is top. We have everything that is required. Now we need to show it on the pitch."
Transcribed by Christina Reinke