Atakan Karazor (24) was THE winner of the preparation. The defensive specialist was in the starting line-up in three of five league games and in the DFB Cup, and was even named player of the game by coach Matarazzo after the cup game in Berlin (6-0).
In BILD he talks about …
► the start of the season: “In preparation, I set myself the goal of really getting started here. I couldn’t really gain a foothold last season. The injury was a shame. But I can learn from that. Last season I had something similar, this time I didn’t want to fall into a hole, I wanted to fight my way back immediately. “
► the double six with endo: “Playing alongside Wata is something big for me! I used to be the sixth, then he took my starting place away. If I see Wata playing today, I want to learn from him where I can improve. “
► his relationship with Beyaz: “Ömer is very professional for his age, the coach sees that too. He asks me organizational questions from time to time. For the first few weeks I was his only caregiver, he doesn’t speak German. I’ll give him a hand. In the meantime, a Kempfi or Thommy goes to him and jokes with him. “
+++ BILD is now also on TV! Click here for BILD LIVE +++
► Didavi’s shisha bar: “I have more or less the same circle of friends as Dida. If I want to see the boys, I’ll say hello in the bar. Or when I want to watch a game. When I’m there, it’s okay to have a shisha on the table, even if I’m not really the type for that. “
► the video game FIFA: “I just enjoy playing and streaming! I leave it open whether this is my future. At the moment, the focus is on performing on the pitch. But I think I will remain the best FIFA player in our team. “
►his love for the Ruhr area: “My family is from NRW. Every time I enter NRW, I feel good. It doesn’t have to be a beautiful city either. The people there are different too. You feel good at home – and I associate NRW with home. “
►his youth club and next opponent VfL Bochum: “I played in Bochum when I was young, with today’s head coach Thomas Reis, among others. I am sure there will be a couple of my family in the stadium. I’m looking forward to. I used to be a ball boy in the stadium, now I play in the Bundesliga there, that’s all the nicer. “