Warhorse Buballa: "We're due a win"
Thursday, 05. November 2020, 12:00 Uhr
Daniel Buballa never gave up hope. He is a footballer who bucked the trend. The left-back did not attend a youth academy, instead taking his first steps in the men's game in the seventh tier of the German pyramid. Today, the 30-year-old is one of the most consistent and experienced players in the second division. He is one of the club’s longest-serving players and a leader on the pitch. The city of Hamburg, he says, is now his "first home".
"Mentality," says Buballa, "is usually more important than quality. Players who put the yards in and invest more will be rewarded." That is the advice he would give his young teammates, and it is also the advice he took himself. En route to his professional debut, Buballa fought his way through the lower leagues up to the second division. The backdrop that day, the start the 2012/13 season, was picture perfect. VfR Aalen, head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, and Buballa, then a 22-year-old new recruit, all contested their first second division game. Another 238 appearances have followed for "Buba", most of them in brown and white.
The Bergisch Gladbach native moved to Millerntor in the summer of 2014 and remains a first-team regular to this day, having hardly missed a game. "I'm generally one of the fittest players and have the best blood lactate values," he says, asked about the reasons for his longevity. "Though luck and the trust of the coach are also factors, of course."
Daniel Buballa on his debut in 2014, a 1-1 draw against FC Ingolstadt.
Buballa has earned that trust again under Timo Schultz, his sixth St. Pauli coach, and in his seventh season is playing a special role for the club. The new boss has introduced a flexible playing system in which the duties of the left-sided defender vary enormously in a back three setup or a back four. "I was in two minds at first," Buba admits, "but I've really settled into it now. The two positions blur into each other and I feel comfortable in either."
The 30-year-old has nothing but praise for the attractive brand of football the Boys in Brown are playing at the moment. Indeed, they have played some decent stuff, notably in the cross-city derby. One source of irritation for Buballa, however, is the number of goals conceded. "We need to keep a clean sheet again despite our attacking style of football," he says. "That gives a defender the confidence he needs."
A clear target for the visit of Karlsruher SC on Sunday (13:30 CET), then. The 5-0 defeat of KSC in February 2017 was the highest win of Buballa's professional career to date and he is the only member of the current squad who featured that day. After three draws in a row, St. Pauli's No15 has his sights firmly set on a maximum haul. "We're due a win," Buballa says. "We've dominated games in part and we've all had enough of draws. It's simply more fun when you win."
Photos: Witters
