Compper: “We're dying to do better!”

Marvin, the Bundesliga season starts on Saturday for TSG against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Is the suspense building?

Suspense is probably not the right word, but rather anticipation. We've had a long and intensive pre-season and we feel we're now at full fitness.

It didn't look that way for your team-mates in the German Cup last weekend. You were suspended and could only watch on TV. Give us your take on things.

I almost went crazy. It's bad enough not being able to play, but the lads should at least win the game. The way the match played out was unbearable. We just didn't find our way into the game. I had the feeling that everything bad that could happen, happened all at once.

Are you optimistic that things will work out better against Gladbach?

We've analysed the game and worked really hard in training on coordinating the individual areas of the team. Each of us knows that what happened shouldn't happen to any first team squad, but we're only human and sometimes we make mistakes. But I'm certain, that every single one of us is dying to do better. Overall, I'm confident that the pre-season preparations went well, and there is quality in the team.

Are you now sort of the one laughing from the sidelines, or putting it another way, do you assume you'll be in the starting line-up for Saturday's game?

Well first of all, I would have rather played in Berlin and helped out my team. I'm a part of this squad, and lost the game just as much as the rest of the players did. I think I put in a lot of work throughout the whole pre-season and believe I will have a place in the starting line-up because of that.

You've been a TSG player for four-and-a-half years now and you're even part of the team council. How do you define the word ‘leader'?

Obviously I'm delighted to have the trust of my team-mates and the manager. For me it's natural to approach the other players and offer my help. I've been with Hoffenheim since 2008 and I've been able to gather a lot of experience in my time here. That automatically includes taking on a leadership role. I've already done it before. On top of that, we've got some other leaders in the team with Tim, Matthieu, Andi or Sali. We have a shared responsibility when we're on the pitch.

Last but not least, your prediction: how will the match go?

As a rule, I don't make predictions ahead of matches. But I can promise that we'll give it our all to make sure we have a good start in the league. What's more, we want to show that the cup match was only a one-off.

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