Bastian Oczipka: My move has surpassed all expectations

“I have already surpassed the expectations I set in summer. I have played nearly every game, we’re second in the Bundesliga and in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal,” said Oczipka. “I feel really settled at Schalke and don’t have any regrets about my transfer.” The left-footed player raved about how great it is to play week after week in the sold-out VELTINS-Arena, adding, “From my time in Frankfurt and Leverkusen, I’m already aware of how hard it is to come here as an away side.”

Despite the current success at the club, Oczipka does not want to let up. “The table is still tight at the top. Of course our advantage is good but nothing more. We need to give everything we have in the remaining games to keep our tally ticking over,” said Oczipka. He also recognised that the last few games had been close-run encounters and not the most convincing of wins but countering by saying, “That is better than winning 5-0 once and then losing the next four. We’re proud of our current run of five runs on the bounce. That hasn’t happened in Schalke for several years.”

According to the left-sided player, there are several reasons for the current run of form, “We are defending well as a team and we are well set-up. We have a lot of strength, which spurs everyone on. I think it’s tough for the coach to decide who gets the nod.”