“I love playing under the spotlight.”
These are the words of "Kaiserslautern" striker Mahir Emreli in an interview with the German publication Bild, Idman.biz reports.
He said that he and his attacking partners, Ivan Prtajin and Daniel Hanslik, all want to score more than anyone else: “But it doesn’t matter who scores – what matters is that we get the three points.”
Emreli understands that the attacking line was criticized after the 0–1 loss to Hannover, but he remains calm about it: “Of course, when the attack doesn’t produce results, people get upset. And they get even more excited when goals are scored. These days, people focus more on statistics than on beautiful football. That’s why I understand the criticism – it’s part of a footballer’s life.”
Coordination is still not at the desired level. Can the understanding among the forwards be improved? The new Kaiserslautern signing explained it this way: “I think Ivan and I still need time. Our play can’t be perfect after such a short period. After a few more matches, things will get a lot better.”
What motivates Emreli? He mentions team spirit, the desire to win, and the atmosphere: “I’ve told many people about the incredible match in Kaiserslautern last season. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the stadium’s architecture is impressive. I’ve played in many big stadiums, but this one is special.”
In April, he had helped his former club Nurnberg win 2–1 at this very stadium, and even scored a goal.
Ahead of Kaiserslautern’s first home match of the new season, the 28-year-old Azerbaijan international remains hopeful: “I hope this first home match will mark the beginning of a successful start.”
Even though his team lost the opening match of the league away to strong opponents Hannover, Emreli still believes in a successful season with the Red Devils: “There are many talented and professional players in the team. I think we have the potential to fight for a top-three finish, that’s my personal opinion. We have to be equally confident in ourselves.”
Kaiserslautern will face ambitious Schalke at home on August 9 in the second round of the 2. Bundesliga. The match will kick off at 22:30 Baku time.
Idman.biz
