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Finn Porath: My position doesn’t matter
Finn Porath has been a Schalke player since matchday 3 of the current season. Up to the winter break, the former Holstein Kiel man featured in every 2. Bundesliga fixture and impressed with his versatility. The 28-year-old has played wherever he could best help the team on the day, featuring on both sides of the pitch and operating in attacking and defensive roles.
Porath is not a specialist in just one role, but a genuine all-rounder. “I enjoy being able to play in different positions and I think I can switch quickly,” he explained. “What I enjoy most is simply being out on the pitch. The position itself doesn’t matter.” In several matches, Porath has played his part in positive results, with many fans unlikely to forget his impressive finish to defeat SpVgg Greuther Fürth on matchday 7.
Looking ahead to the second half of the season, Porath is keen to increase his playing time. So far, he has made five starts and played a total of 558 minutes in the league for the Royal Blues. “I have to put myself forward in every training session and give everything in every drill,” said Porath. “If I do that, I’ll continue to get my chances, and when I do, I want to help us keep picking up points.”
Staying focused, not interested in calculating potential situations
Porath knows the 2. Bundesliga well from his time at Holstein Kiel. That is why, despite the Royal Blues collecting 37 points in the first half of the season, he is not getting carried away. “We need to make sure that we’re still right up there with five or six games to go – and then make sure we take points, especially in games against teams around us in the table.” Trying to calculate now what the table might look like in April or May would be counterproductive, he insists. “We should keep our focus on our day-to-day work and continue to take things one game at a time. That approach served us well in the first half of the season.”
The excitement for the return to training was huge.
It is important, Porath says, to keep improving the things Schalke have already been doing well, while also working on the areas that still need refinement. He has no doubts about that process, having seen first-hand over recent months how focused the coaching staff and squad have been in their daily work together.
Porath is therefore satisfied with his first six months auf Schalke, even if leaving Kiel was not easy for him. “After so many years there, it was difficult to leave because I was very attached to the club. That’s no secret,” he said. “I’m also not as close to my family anymore and I’ve had to adapt to a completely new environment. It’s only natural that you need a bit of time to settle in.”
That’s why he enjoyed the two-week winter break back home all the more. Porath was able to switch off with his family and catch up with friends before setting off for Gelsenkirchen full of motivation on New Year’s Day. “The excitement for the return to training was huge. I was really looking forward to seeing the lads and the staff again.”
