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Soufiane El-Faouzi: No one shies away from running the extra yard
Soufiane El-Faouzi's perfectly timed pass helped FC Schalke 04 take the lead at home against SV Darmstadt 98 on Friday (24/10), in a match the Royal Blues ended up winning 1-0. The 23-year-old is grateful for the trust that's been shown in him and has been paying it back with strong performances over the last weeks.
As the match ticked over into the ninth minute of play, Kenan Karaman won the ball in midfield before playing it to Ron Schallenberg. From there, it found its way to El-Faouzi, who drove up the pitch in the direction of the Darmstadt goal. A precise pass from the 23-year-old found the gap between the opposition’s Patric Pfeiffer and Matej Maglica, picking out Moussa Sylla inside the box. The striker then slotted home confidently to put the Royal Blues 1-0 up. “I know that Moussa will always look to run deep. I connected perfectly with the ball and played it through, and then we scored to make it 1-0,’ El-Faouzi recalled.
Soaking up the energy from the crowd
Against Darmstadt, the midfielder proved once again just how important he is to the team. He continuously put his opponents under pressure, got stuck in and covered plenty of ground. “I’ve worked hard to improve my fitness levels and am grateful that I’m now able to play at this level,” the 23-year-old said of the reasons for his strong performances, adding: “Everyone gives everything they have for each other. No one shies away from running the extra yard, which is what makes us so strong.”
Additionally, El-Faouzi and his teammates are able to draw extra energy from the fans. “You can feel how the fans celebrate every moment, even successful tackles. When you’re on the pitch, you can feel it all up close, which really pushes us on and gives us extra energy.”
I've really been able to feel a lot of trust from the coaching staff and from the entire team.
The midfielder has been named in the starting line-up for every competitive game so far this season, having only been taken off after 70 minutes in Dresden. The fact that he has been able to settle in so quickly to life at the Royal Blues is due to a host of factors. “I’ve really been able to feel a lot of trust from the coaching staff and from the entire team. Everyone was very welcoming right from the start and I quickly felt at home. It’s a lot of fun getting to play for this team, especially in front of fans like ours. There’s simply nothing better,” he enthused.
Now, the team’s focus is shifting to their upcoming second-round DFB-Pokal clash against Darmstadt, their second meeting in only a matter of days. “Wednesday’s match will once again see two evenly-matched teams facing off,” said El-Faouzi. “We want to pick up exactly where we left off today.”
