“It’s much more fun when the fans make lots of noise!”
Konrad Laimer gives an interview ahead of the UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off first leg at home to Real Sociedad | The Austrian has made more Europa League appearances than anyone in the current RB Leipzig squad
It was certainly a nerve-wracking when Konrad Laimer had to come off due to injury during the Augsburg game in December, having already missed the vast majority of the season before with an ankle issue. However, the Austrian swiftly overcame his recent MCL injury and has been back in the squad since the start of 2022.
We spoke with “Konni” about the upcoming Europa League match against Real Sociedad and about RBL’s current run of form.
Fans were finally allowed to return to the Red Bull Arena again for the league match against Köln, and there’ll be 25,000 in the stands for the Real Sociedad game, which is even better. How much does it help to have support in the stadium once again?
The support is simply a massive help. It’s a more enjoyable experience when there are fans in the stadium to support us and who are loud. That’s what makes football so fun. I look forward to even more fans being allowed back in so that they can cheer us on, and I hope that maximum capacity is permitted in the near future.
Could an important Europa League game such as this have come at a better time?
I think it’s important for us to have fans supporting us in the stadium in every match, and we always love to welcome them into the ground. We hope to play in front of a full house soon, but we’re still thrilled that 25,000 are allowed to attend and we want to play as well as we did in our last game for them on Thursday night.
Out of everyone in the current RB Leipzig squad, you’ve made the most appearances in the Europa League. What are your fond memories when you look back at previous matches in the competition?
We did have one very good Europa League campaign, when we really should have reached the semi-final. We want to achieve something similar this season. There are plenty of top teams left in the competition who will be tough opponents and who will make for challenging games. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning a title. We’re looking forward to both matches against Real Sociedad, who are a strong side, but we want to progress to the next round.
There are lots of big teams in the knockout stages this year, many of whom you would normally expect to see in the Champions League. Four years ago we made it to the last eight. How motivated is the team to top that this year?
When you take part in a competition, you want to go as far as possible. That is our goal and our aspiration. It certainly won’t be easy as there are many strong teams still in the mix. Our task is to give it everything we’ve got and leave everything out on the field. If we do that, I am sure we can go deep in the tournament.
We had a difficult first half of the season in the league, despite some impressive performances in what was a tough Champions League group. In your opinion, what is the reason why our performances have gone up a level in recent weeks?
We’ve gone back to doing what we do best. And we are now showing that on the pitch once more. When we play at the level that we know we can, we don’t need to shy away from anyone and we know we can get the better of any opponent. I have said this many times in the past and I stand by it. That said there are still some areas in which we can improve and we are still in a process of development. We still have some big aspirations for this season and if everyone in the team continues to perform at the level with which we have performed since the turn of the year, it could be a very successful time for us.
Have you also noticed any changes in yourself?
Not particularly. I’m the sort of person who wants to win every game and will put in the hard yards on the pitch in order to do so. And that’s how it must continue. I can now see the self-awareness and self-confidence coming back to individuals within the team. We know that we can play some really good football. But in order to achieve that, everyone has to give one hundred percent. We have a great squad, not just in strength but also in depth, and we just have to come together as a team. Now it’s about taking the next steps, picking up points in the league and going as far as we can in the two cup competitions, because that’s where we have a great chance of success this year.
The cup competitions offer us a great chance of success this year
Has our new coach Domenico Tedesco set you up differently in terms of your playing style and your role within the team?
Every coach has their own philosophy and their own ideas and that’s no different to the current coach. We have really taken to his way of playing and can really identify with his principles. The same applies to me, of course, and to my position. Nevertheless, every player in the team has the freedom to make their own decisions.
A striking feature of our season is that we have put in some very strong performances at home, yet our away form has left a lot to be desired. Has this become a psychological thing or just a coincidence?
I don’t think it is ever a coincidence. If I knew what the problem was, I would have brought it up in the changing room a long time ago and it would not have come to this (laughs)! Essentially, we know that we need to pick more points up away from home and we have the quality to do so. It also has to be said that there were some games where the luck was not on our side, but obviously there have also been some bad performances. In Stuttgart, we controlled the game from the start and in Munich we put in a performance that on another day could have produced a better result. I am convinced that we will win more games from now on. But that’s not difficult given what has come before (Laughs)!
Now onto the game against Real Sociedad. What can we expect?
They are a very strong side. They have some real individual talent and we will have to give it everything in order to get a result. They are also doing well in the league in the moment, currently sitting in sixth. If we put in the performance that I know we’re capable of, we’ll put ourselves in a good position going into the second leg and give ourselves every chance of progressing into the next round-