Elvedi: “Always a really special match”

Borussia defender Nico Elvedi spoke to us about his gradual return to team training, his favourite derby moment from the past and the upcoming away clash against 1. FC Köln.

Nico, you weren’t able to play for Switzerland during the international break due to your knee injury. How hard was not being able to represent your country at the most crucial stage of EURO qualification?

Nico Elvedi: I would have really liked to have been part of the Switzerland setup because international games are always special occasions and it’s always great to get back together with the other lads. On top of that, it obviously would have been good to support the team at the critical qualification stage. I guess that I’ll just have to wait until the next international break.

You’ve managed to make a gradual return to team training. How’s your knee holding up and what are the chances that you’re back playing on Sunday?

Elvedi: I’m feeling good and trained with the rest of the team again on Wednesday without feeling any pain. The week-long break has done me good and my knee didn’t cause me any problems in training.  

You extended your contract with Borussia a few weeks ago. How pleased are you that you made this decision and that you’ve being playing regularly since then?

Elvedi: I’m really happy that I came to this decision and that the coach has put his trust in me so that I can help the team out on the pitch. This summer wasn’t easy for me and I couldn’t be happier with the contract extension.

You’ve been playing in a back-three in the last three games. How has that changed your role on the pitch?

Elvedi: I’m now playing more on the right side of the defence, which means that I can contribute more to our build-up play with my stronger foot. In this new position, I’m also able to get more involved in attacks and showcase my strengths higher up the pitch.

You could make your 13th appearance against 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga at the weekend. Out of the current squad, only Patrick Herrmann has played them more often. What does the derby against Köln mean to you?

Elvedi: The derby is always very special. We know just how important the fixture is for the whole club, and we want to thank the fans with a good performance for their amazing support so far this season. We’ll throw everything at it on Sunday, and I’m convinced that if we bring our quality to the game, we’ll be capable of bringing home a win in the derby.

Is there a specific moment that stands out to you from the twelve derbies you’ve played in so far?

Elvedi: Of course! (laughs) We won 1-0 at home on matchday 1 of the 2017/18 season – and I scored the winning goal. I believe that was my first ever goal for Borussia, and in the derby as well. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Let’s look ahead to Sunday’s game: Köln are yet to win a match this season. What are you expecting from the opposition?

Elvedi: I think the league standings are irrelevant in a derby. It’s its own separate occasion which is carried purely by emotions. We definitely won’t be underestimating Köln based on their performance in the league so far.

What will it come down to on Sunday in order to win the match?

Elvedi: We know that it will be very heated and Köln will do all that they can to stop us from playing our game. We will have to do our best to hold them off and concentrate on playing to our strengths. If we can bring this to the table at the weekend, it will be a great game, and both we and the fans will hopefully go home happy.