Marcin Kaminski: Really wanted to be part of the new team

„I spoke to Tomasz Waldoch on the day I signed my contract at Schalke. And I text Tomasz Hajto as well,“ Kaminski told us. He too is keen to write his own success story in Gelsenkirchen, and didn’t have to think for long when the offer came from Schalke: „I really wanted to be part of the new team,“ he said.

The man from Stuttgart has settled in well: „Obviously it takes a bit of time to find your place both on and off the pitch. That’s completely normal, especially when there’s a lot of new players joining at the same time,“ he explained, praising the coaches, the directors and the backroom staff for their work in this connection. They are doing everything they can to help the team make progress on the pitch every day, Kaminski revealed.

The left-footed defender has set himself a personal goal of becoming an important pillar in the Knappen’s backline. „I need to show that I’ve earned my place on the pitch,“ said the Pole. The fact that Schalke currently play with a back three, unlike Stuttgart, is not a problem for Kaminski. „It’s not been difficult to become accustomed to a back three, since we work on it every day on the training pitch and then go through video analyses,“ he said.

Second division nothing new for the defender

The 29-year-old is already familiar with the second division from his time at Stuttgart. „We’ve got to focus on every game,“ said Kaminski, who will not let the past difficult season at Schalke trouble him. „It’s in the past, and this is a new season where we will need to show a different side to Royal Blue.“

His new kit number was not plucked out of thin air either. „I first wore the number 35 when I was 17 playing for Lech Poznan. Since then I’ve worn it in Düsseldorf, in Stuttgart, and now at Schalke.“