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Adrian Gantenbein: I can’t be pleased with my own performance if we weren’t successful as a team
Adrian Gantenbein appeared to be on track to have the perfect day on Sunday (11/10), with the 25-year-old not only making his Bundesliga debut on his comeback from injury, but also scoring his maiden goal in the division. Substitute Keisuke Gotō then scored the match-winner for SC Freiburg in the 85th minute, putting a damper on the day for the Royal Blues.
That’s why, despite enjoying several personal triumphs on the day, the Swiss defender said afterwards, “I don’t care much about my goal because we didn’t pick up any points. I’d rather we didn’t have to return home empty-handed and had someone else score. I can’t be pleased with my own performance if we weren’t successful as a team.”
I don’t care much about my goal because we didn’t pick up any points.
The 25-year-old was told during Schalke’s final training session ahead of the match that he would be starting against Freiburg. After recovering from an ankle injury, Gantenbein had been able to pick up valuable match practice during Schalke’s friendlies during the international break. “I was very happy and was ready for it,” he shared, adding that he didn’t feel nervous at all about the prospect of making his Bundesliga debut.
“In the right place at the right time”
The defender got stuck into every tackle and was also able to contribute to Schalke’s attack against Freiburg. “I just struck the ball and hoped that it would go in,” is how Gantenbein described his equaliser against the Breisgau side. In the lead-up to the goal, Freiburg keeper Mio Backhaus had parried a corner straight to Gantenbein’s feet. “I was in the right spot at the right time,” is how the defender summed up the situation.
Having managed to draw level, the Royal Blues were playing well against last season’s Europa League finalists from Freiburg. According to Gantenbein, the visitors “could have scored a second” in the early stages of the game. “Freiburg are a strong side and it’s not for nothing that they can be found at the top of the table. It wasn’t to be expected that we would be able to outplay them,” he said.
“We started well as the second half got underway and were a lot more aggressive than we were before the break,” said Gantenbein. Freiburg were then reduced to ten men in the 64th minute, after Yuito Suzuki received his second yellow card of the night. “We should have done a better job of seeing the game out when we found ourselves a man up,” said Gantenbein.
The team will now analyse the match throughly before turning their focus to next Saturday’s home game (17/10, 15:30 CEST) against 1. FSV Mainz 05. Asked whether he believes he’ll be back in the starting line-up, Gantenbein replied: “Everyone has to fight to earn their spot and work hard in training. In the end, it’s the head coach who decides.”
