“If you're not fit, then nothing works”
Interview with midfielder Konrad Laimer | Austrian speaks about his home country, his aims for the season and his return from injury
Konrad Laimer is back and raring to go! The midfielder speaks to us in Saalfelden ahead of the new season.
Konrad Laimer on…
…Saalfelden:
- “It’s great here. I have nothing to complain about when we come to my beautiful Salzburg. Everyone feels good here, the conditions are great and it's the perfect place for a training camp. It's very tiring, just like a training camp should be. We’re ready to train hard so that we’re all as fit as possible for the new season. There's always something to do every day and I think this will set the foundation for a strong season.”
…his long-term absence last season:
- “It was definitely a tough situation to be injured for that long, especially when you weren't expecting it to be that long. You also learn a lot by going through a tough time. It just made it clear how important your body is to you as a footballer. If you're not fit, then nothing works. I think you learn to value your health. I realised how quickly things can change from one moment to the next. I’m back now and I’m looking forward to what will hopefully be a successful season.”
…his goals for this season:
- "It's always difficult to set a goal at the start of the season about where you want to finish. I think the here and now matters most at the moment. A good pre-season is important as that's the foundation for a strong season. We've achieved a lot already, and have also experienced some disappointments along the way, with the two cup final defeats. We really want to bring some silverware back to Leipzig, which will require an exceptional effort from us – but I think we’re capable!"
I think the here and now matters most at the moment. A good pre-season is important as that's the foundation for a strong season.
…fans returning for the new season:
- “We saw at the EUROs that it’s so much nicer when the fans are there. I think as a team you're able to eke out some extra effort when you have that support in the stadium and have that extra motivation. I hope that with the fans behind us, we can win a title together this year.”
…the team spirit in the training camp:
- "The coach has divided us into four groups and we're competing against each other during training camp in various events, such as the crossbar challenge, like we saw in the video, where it took me a while to hit it, unfortunately. But, as things stand my team is in first place so I can't complain."