Farke: “You have to give it absolutely everything to win the game”

Head coach Daniel Farke and Sporting Director Roland Virkus spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s derby against FC Köln (15:30 CEST). Here are the most important parts:

Daniel Farke on...

…the state of the squad: Ko Itakura and Florian Neuhaus are making good progress in their rehabilitation training. They will of course miss out, along with Hannes Wolf. Yvandro Borges Sanches is fit again after his thigh problems and has been able to fully take part in training over the last two days. Alassane Plea also has a full week of training behind him and he is an option for Sunday.

…his first derby as Gladbach head coach: I know that this is one of the most important games of the year for the fans and for the club. There is a certain explosiveness and emotion attached to this game. I don’t want to look back on the games that I wasn’t a part of. I haven’t lost a derby with Borussia and I want it to stay that way on Sunday. We need to be good all over the pitch in order to do that.

…the importance of this fixture: These are the games that remind you of why you started playing football in the first place. You were always just up for winning games with your teammates. And that’s what a derby feels like. The table means nothing when it comes to matchday. It comes down to giving it absolutely everything in order to win the game. In my opinion, there are no favourites in a derby. Both teams are totally focussed and we want it to go our way.

…his assessment of the opponents: You have give Steffen Baumgart huge credit for the excellent job he is doing in Köln. His team are playing his way and they are very hard to beat. They have made a good start to the season. We are going into the game with the necessary respect because we know that Köln have lots of fighting spirit, energy and intensity. It will be a difficult challenge but it would be boring if derbies were easy. I think it will be a tight match and we are looking forward to it.

…the importance of handling your emotions: You have to be motivated and passionate. That is obvious. But passion isn’t enough and you have to find the right balance. You need to be full of heart but you need to remain level-headed. We have to be ourselves and bring what differentiates us on the day.

Roland Virkus on…

…the emotions of the derby: I come from Mönchengladbach and I know that this derby is especially emotional. However, there is no place for violence both on and off the pitch. That’s why I’m appealing to all fans to remain calm and to remember to support the team.

Christoph Kramer’s strong performances and the possibility of a contract extension: Chris has been an integral part of this team for a long time. We’ve always known what he is capable of. So it only makes sense that we want him to stay.