As the 2024 footballing schedule draws to a close, SV Werder Bremen travel to face FC St. Pauli in their final away match of the calendar year on Saturday evening, 14/12/2024 (kick-off 18:30 CET). Niklas Stark spoke to the media during an interview on Wednesday afternoon and spoke about...
…the current league position: “The table isn’t looking too bad for us right now. We’ve got a chance to to climb higher but need to still be aware of the teams below. All in all, though, we can be satisfied with how the season has gone so far.”
…consistency at centre-back: “It’s good that we’ve got lads ready to fill in when needed. I always try to perform to the best of my ability and, alongside the team, get the most out of every game. It’s beneficial that each of us has already got minutes under our belts this season and is therefore fit and ready to be called on. When Milos was out, Tony was able to come in straight away.”
…second-half goals: “We always want to take something home with us from each game. The desire to win is built into this team. I get the sense when I’m out on that pitch or even, like against Darmstadt, when watching from the stands that we are capable of more, so it’s no surprise when goals come late on. We definitely could have found these sorts of late goals in the past as well, like in Dortmund for example, but we have learned to stay patient and stay true to ourselves which is reaping the rewards at the moment.”
Over Christmas I’ll be seeing my family in the village where they live.
…the match away to St. Pauli: “I have heard from a few of the lads that they are particularly looking forward to this game. For me, it’s like any Bundesliga match and I simply want to win it. I have also heard that we could have sold 30,000 tickets so hearing that, you know it’s going to be a special game for the fans as well.”
…last season’s record against promoted sides: “That might be something in the back of our minds, but not something we have actively discussed. It’s still an annoyance because we could be playing in Europe this season if we had just got a few more points seeing as we didn’t end up far off. However, getting points against the promoted teams is never easy because they can also play well so we need to hold our own first and foremost.”
…his absence during October: “It obviously really annoyed me, having to sit out, but that’s just something you have to accept because there is little you can do. I am working with training staff alongside the regular sessions so that I can work through this better in the future.”
…the winter break: “I am looking forward to the time off already, especially after an exhausting, busy schedule of late. The closer we get to the holidays, the more excited I get for it all. Over Christmas I’ll be seeing family in the village where they live and then travelling with friends come New Year’s Eve. I won’t be flying anywhere, though, just staying in Bavaria and Austria. I’ve already decided what I’m eating over the holidays as well: raclette and duck.”
