FC St. Pauli

Fabian Hürzeler on…

...opponents FC 08 Homburg: "We're up against a team on extremely good form. They're unbeaten in 11 games. They beat Darmstadt and Fürth in the cup. They're solid at the back and extremely good in transition, which is one of their biggest strengths. They're a close-knit bunch who support one another and keep things really tight, which makes them a huge threat when they win possession. We have to be prepared for that, but nevertheless the objective is to go through to the next round and that's what we're preparing for."

...the option of rotating the squad: "Even if we do make some changes, it won't mean a loss of quality, as we have really good depth in the squad. The players who haven't played so much or haven't been starting recently are very busy in training and so they'd all would deserve to play. I don't know how it'll look in the end. Every player has my full trust if I pick him and there's a chance Sascha Burchert will play. All the players emerged from the derby unscathed, so we have practically a full squad to choose from. Simon Zoller, who's back after a bereavement, has a slight muscle problem but he's the only one."

...going over the derby: "We've analysed the game as usual and went over the things that were good and not so good. We lost our way briefly midway through, but on a positive note we were very dominant, so there are lots of positives to take from it but there were points to criticise as well. We've shown the lads it was our own fault the game went the way it did. They can make mistakes, as I emphasised again, but the important thing it to learn from them and that's part of the process."

...the chances of reaching the quarter-final: "It's not only a big chance for the club, it's a chance for the players to achieve something big. It's the last 16 and a place in the quarter-final is up for grabs. I've been in the quarter-final with St. Pauli once to date against Union Berlin and so I know it's a special competition. The players know that as well and sense they can achieve something, so we're all looking forward to it and are prepared for it emotionally."

...differences between fourth- and second-tier teams: "I've coached a fourth-tier team myself and I've also had success against bigger teams, so you see what's possible. It also shows that players in the fourth tier have individual quality. Homburg are a case in point. They have players who've played higher up. On top of that it creates a David v Goliath mentality, i.e. minnows against giants. Homburg are a close-knit unit and that helps them to unleash energy you can't normally unleash in the league. And this combination of individual quality and determination to achieve something special, which Homburg have already done, makes it difficult for the favourites. I'm coach of the favourites now and I think I have good insights into their way of thinking."

...the condition of the pitch: "I've played at Homburg myself and know from experience that the pitch is usually very good. That's confirmed by the footage we saw of their last home game. It looked decent. We have to adapt to the conditions and accept situations as they are. There'll be no excuses. We're preparing well and will try to bring our game to the pitch."

Photo: Witters