Thomas von Heesen celebrated his first win as Nürnberg coach last weekend. He spoke with bundesliga.de about the challenges ahead.
“We have the players who enough class to avoid relegation”, von Heesen told bundesliga.de in an exclusive interview. Von Heesen believs that is only possible if the squad consequently sticks to his “clear strategy” in the remaining games of the season. If the 3:1 win in Frankfurt is anything to go by, the plan might just work!
bundesliga.de: Thomas von Heesen, congratulations on your first win as Nürnberg coach. 13 seems to be your lucky number. How big was your relief after finally winning in your 13th competitve game as the Nürnberg coach?
Thomas von Heesen: Our success in Frankfurt was just one step, but what matters is what we achieve at the end of the season. Come May 17th, we want to have secured our first division status and celebrate it. Only then can we talk about “relief”.
bundesliga.de: Nürnberg were 1:0 down after three minutes. Thus far this season, when the team concedes the first goal, ten away defeats have been recorded. How testing have the last few weeks been?
Von Heesen: The relegation battle is tough for everyone. We are all aware of the challenging situation and we have prepared ourselves mentally for it. It’s our job to develop the squad and give it stability.
bundesliga.de: Nürnberg have often played well, but suffered from bad luck. The team is a league-low scoring conversion stat and only managed to play twice without conceding a goal. Additionally, Nürnberg have netted three own-goals. The squad is not as deep as it should be, and there are problems in attack and defence. Where do your priorities lie?
Von Heesen: I have a clear strategy and my team will and must ensure they are implemented. We’ve been working hard in training to achieve that. We cannot change the past! There’s no use even thinking about it. We have the players with enough class to beat the drop. All we need to do is continue to use the attributes which make us strong.
bundesliga.de: Midfield playmaker “Zwetschge” Misimovic has scored ten goals and set up another three. He was man of the match against Eintracht Frankfurt as well. Is it a bonus or a burden to be dependent on such a player?
Von Heesen: It’s true that “Zwetschge” has been enjoying a great run of form. But when he scores, he profits from the work of the entire team. Naturally, I hope he can continue to play so well for a few weeks more.
bundesliga.de: Nürnberg, the DFB cup holders and UEFA Cup participants, are threatened with relegation. On top of that there have been problems with the fans, and an open letter didn’t help improve the relationship. The club has been an an emotional rollercoaster ride: how has that affected the squads working environment?
Von Heesen: The perfect solution is to work hard and achieve something that everybody wants.
bundesliga.de: Nürnberg’s remaining fixtures are tough, with amongst others, games against Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, Dortmund and Schalke. Berlin has always been a tough opponent as well. On the other hand, Nürnberg must go up against Duisburg and Bielefeld, two direct rivals for survival. What will be your approach to the remaining games?
Von Heesen: Our attitude must be to get something out of each and every game. Of course, games against our rivals to avoid relegation must be won.
bundesliga.de: Finally, a question about the events in Frankfurt. Martin Bader hopes that the fan block will “clean up itself”. The Nürnberg “Ultras” have always been respectable fans in Nürnberg, but there are obviously problems with other fan groups and with the team itself. How does the club and the squad see the situation?
Von Heesen: Nobody wishes to see scenes we saw during the Frankfurt game, as it damages football in general. As a team, we will do all we can to help things like that occurring again in the future.
Interview by Michael Wollny / Translation by Desmond Squire
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