Virkus: “Work hard and restore stability”

Roland Virkus, Borussia’s sporting director, spoke to the media from the Flatex press club during training camp on Friday. Read on for all the key quotes from today.

Roland Virkus on…

…the role of Florian Neuhaus, who just extended his contract until summer 2027: He can see that things are happening here. Flo fits to Borussia. He’s now among the more experienced players in our squad, and wants to take on a leadership role. It takes time to grow into such a role. Flo is becoming more vocal on the pitch, which we like. He wants to join us on the path that we’re continuing on.  

…the growth of the team during training camp: The surroundings here are great. There’s a lot of energy within the team. I’ve also picked up good vibes from the fans. The players have trained hard and have been very focused so far. It was also important that we integrate the new players, which worked well. There were moments during the friendly against Ingolstadt where the team did very well out on the pitch. We’re now hoping that we will be able to end training camp on a high with the tournament in Heimstetten.

…head coach Gerardo Seoane: He’s a very open and communicative coach. He talks a lot and does a lot of self-reflection. The fact that he can speak multiple languages and is able to communicate with nearly every player in the squad in their native language helps to build a strong rapport, because I believe that emotions can only be conveyed via words. He has a strong communication style, has been able to get everyone on board and is held in high regard by his colleagues and those around him.

…Robin Hack and Nathan Ngoumou: With Robin, you can really see him coming into his own here. That’s exactly what we hoped would happen. His first few games looked promising. He feels good here and has been well integrated into the team. Nathan is undergoing the same process. Our recent friendlies showed the potential that he has. I would be very pleased if he manages to do that consistently during the season as well. It’s obvious that having a player with pace like him is of huge benefit.

…variability within the team: I think that you have to become variable. That’s exactly what we’re working on now. We want to be able to play higher up the pitch. With Nathan Ngoumou, Robin Hack, Franck Honorat and Tomáš Čvančara, we now have players that are good at doing just that. It helps to make us much more variable.

…squad planning: On the one hand, we have been able to serve for clarity in a lot of cases. That was important, because when there are contractual details that are still up in the air, it creates uncertainty. We now have a good mix of young, hungry players and experienced ones that will now take up more responsibility. Overall, we have made ourselves much more variable. There’s a new team spirit that’s developing within our team. Based on this, I’m confident that we will have a successful season.

…the expectations at Borussia: We went through probably our biggest rebuild in years this summer. That’s why the first steps should be remaining humble, working hard, implementing certain processes and bringing a certain level of stability. We’re working on getting back to the Borussia way of doing things, returning to our values and winning back the fans. There will be moments where our young team might struggle, which is when we will count on the support from the fans.

…the aims for the upcoming season: It’s a bit early to be speaking about our aims. I can say that I want to see honest football from the team and that the lads leave their heart and soul out on the pitch. I also hope that the team will work on their weaknesses on a daily basis and that they will improve as a result. Borussia is about developing players, regardless of their age. Even experienced players have the room to improve. Those are the things that we’re focused on for the new season.

…working together with the new management team: So far, it’s been going very well. Nils Schmadtke is the link between myself and the processes within the team. Steffen Korell is responsible for squad planning as the head of scouting, together with Mario Vossen. Philipp Schützendorf is, in close cooperation with Guido Streichsbier, responsible for the individual development and screening of top talents. We’re in the middle of clearly defining these processes. Training camp offers a good opportunity to do so, because we then have the time to discuss things in peace.

…Stefan Lainer’s cancer diagnosis: It just goes to prove that football is not the only thing in life. The diagnosis not only hit him and his family hard, but Borussia as well. The most important thing is that Stevie is undergoing excellent treatment and that he recovers fully. We know that he’s an optimist and a fighter. He will do everything he can to beat it. We will all help him do so and hope that he will be able to return as quickly as possible.