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Kenan Karaman: I’m leading by example and trying to pull the team along with me
Kenan Karaman has been involved in four goals in the Royal Blues’ last three games, and he wants to build on his recent performances against former club Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday (25th November, 20:30 CET). In this interview with schalke04.de, the 29-year-old speaks about his time in the Rhineland, reacting to the loss to Elversberg and his leadership role in the team.
Kenan, during the international break, Turkey played Germany in Berlin and won 3-2. How did you follow the game?
Of course I watched the match. It was a good game for Turkey. I want to keep putting in good performances here and then hope to be at the EUROs next year. It would be extra good if I could play in our stadium during that.
We now come to S04’s game on Saturday. You played 72 competitive games for Fortuna. Which moments do you associate with your time at our next opponents?
I have very nice memories of my three years in Düsseldorf. Personal highlights were my solo goal against Bremen, which was nominated for Goal of the Month, or the 3-3 draw in Munich.
Are there still one or two Fortuna players who you’re in contact with?
I’ve been in contact from time to time over the years, for example with Matthias Zimmermann, André Hoffmann and Florian Kastenmeier. I’ll also see a few familiar faces among the staff on Saturday.
Düsseldorf have been steadily improving under head coach Daniel Thioune. What kind of opponent are you expecting on Saturday?
It’ll be a tough game. Düsseldorf have gone through a bit of an off patch recently, but they’ll want to turn it around in front of their own fans. They’re definitely promotion candidates.
The fans’ support is always breathtaking; thousands of fans are always in the stadiums, no matter whether it’s a home or away fixture and we don’t take that for granted.
After the disappointment against Elversberg you’ve had two weeks to analyse the mistakes. What have you been working on since then?
We went into great detail and had some tough training sessions. We were all really disappointed that we weren’t able to win against Elversberg, especially given that it was in front of a sold-out crowd at the VELTINS-Arena. Playing there is always something special, so it hits harder when you can’t give the fans a home win. We’ve analysed our mistakes, practised defensive and attacking routines and want to have more movement up front in order to create spaces and scoring opportunities.
You didn’t concede in the friendlies against Eindhoven and Maasmechelen. How would you rate the team’s performances?
They were both good friendlies for us. Not conceding in the two games gives us confidence. We implemented a lot of what the coach wanted from us in the games. Such friendlies are helpful to stay in the rhythm of regular football.
You’ve been playing really well recently and scored against both Hannover and Elversberg. Do you see yourself as one of the leaders of the team now?
Yes, for sure. I have already demonstrated in pre-season and at the start of the term that I want to lead by example and take on responsibility. I’m trying to pull the team along with me and I’ll do everything to build on my recent performances.
More than 10,000 Schalke fans are expected in Düsseldorf. How does that make you feel?
The fans’ support is always breathtaking; thousands of fans are always in the stadiums, no matter whether it’s a home or away fixture and we don’t take that for granted. Personally, I really value their loyalty and that’s why I want to give something back to our fans. Their support really motivates me.
