Lino Tempelmann: I feel as fit as I ever have before

The 25-year-old missed the whole of pre-season due to a knee injury and only returned to team training in Gelsenkirchen two weeks ago following an intense rehabilitation programme. After impressing in his first few sessions back with the rest of the players, interim coach Jakob Fimpel put him in the squad right away for the away game in Münster.

After he made the squad for the win at SC Preußen, he made his long-awaited comeback a week later. “It was the most difficult period in my career to date,” reported the Munich-born midfielder, who decided in agreement with the club to complete his rehabilitation programme in his home city. “I didn’t expect to be there for so long, but I had no other choice because I wanted to be totally free of pain. That’s why I made sure I took the time I needed, it wouldn’t have made sense to not do that.” Tempelmann struggled with knee problems throughout the second half of last season and was rarely able to complete the full training schedule.

First competitive game under the new coach

In a bid to get rid of the problems, the midfielder opted for some conversative treatment, which included strengthening the muscles and stabilising his knee joint. “I’ve worked harder over the past three months than ever before in my life. It certainly hasn’t been a walk in the park,” he revealed. The former 1. FC Nürnberg loanee had to undergo two knee operations six years ago.

Tempelmann reported that the rehabilitation programme took a lot out of him. During EURO 2024, he wasn’t even able to watch games on the TV in the evening. “I was so tired and just fell into bed.” The hard work paid off though: “I feel as fit as I ever have done before. My first two training sessions back with the team felt great. It went better than I’d initially expected it to,” he explained. Tempelmann is now hoping to impress new coach Kees van Wonderen and feature more regularly: “It’s like a fresh start for me. I’m on the right path.” In the friendly match away to FC Aarau, the 25-year-old was named in the starting line-up and played the whole of the first half.

The team’s trip to face Hannover 96 will be the first competitive match under the new head coach. “You can see that he wants to introduce a new energy and atmosphere within the group,” Tempelmann revealed regarding his impressions during the first few days under van Wonderen. “We have already made some positive steps in a number of areas, but there is obviously still a lot of room for improvement.” He then turned his attention to Saturday’s opponent, describing them as “a good team, who defend well and are especially strong at home.” However, the midfielder does not see that as any reason to be disheartened: “We know the task that lies ahead of us and need to give it our all in front of our numerous travelling fans.”