1. FC Köln's Petit has been one of the major transfer coups this summer. bundesliga.de had an exclusive chat with the Cologne midfielder.
bundesliga.de: Petit, what are you specially looking forward to in the Bundesliga?
Petit: I'm hoping for a good season. Above all, I hope to steer clear of injury and that things work out well for the fans and for 1. FC Köln.
bundesliga.de: Cologne were the first club to win the Bundesliga in 1963/64. Did you know that?
Petit: I've actually got the 1. FC Köln DVD and I know a lot about the club's history and that it has a great history behind it. I also realise that things haven't gone that well for Cologne in the past few years and most of the time the club has had to face relegation and struggle for promotion again. But I hope, with my help, that the club will be able to re-establish itself in the Bundesliga.
bundesliga.de: Two years ago, during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, you played for Portugal against Angola in a match staged in Cologne. Was that experience one of your reasons for transferring to Cologne?
Petit: That's not the reason for me coming to Cologne. The main reason is that coach Christoph Daum and sporting director Michael Meier took a lot of trouble to bring me here. The manager actually came to Lisbon to sign me up. Another reason is to be close to my family. I have a brother in Luxembourg and it's near to Strasbourg in France where I was born.
bundesliga.de: What's the origin of your nickname Pitbull?
Petit: I've been called Pitbull since my first game for Portugal. During training, I ran around like crazy. Luis Figo then asked the coach: “What's up with the lad?” The coach replied: “Just let the pitbull run about. He'll be very useful to us.”
bundesliga.de: In a sporting sense, what is different in Germany from your experiences in Portugal in the last few years?
Petit: The big difference is that in the Bundesliga there are a lot of clubs fighting to be German champions. In Portugal, there are just three: Benfica Lisbon, Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto. And what's especially nice about Germany is that the stadiums are always full for every game. That's rare in Portugal except for the very top games. That's another important reason for me coming to Germany.
bundesliga.de: Petit, you transferred to a club which is based in a football-crazy town. What are your impressions of football-crazy Cologne?
Petit: I think the atmosphere in the stadium, and the fans, are great. It's very impressive the way the club gets support. That's unusual for anywhere in the world. I hope some good performances from me will get the fans even more roused up so they can give the club even more.
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