Lino Tempelmann: It’s a good mix

Lino, your first days as a Royal Blue are behind you. How have you settled into the team?
It’s been great. It was a good idea to join up with the team at training camp. It allowed me to get to know the lads and to get a feel for how the team functions off the pitch. The impression I got was that the team is very welcoming and friendly. There’s a lot of laughter. At the same time, I also felt that everyone is very focused on the work at hand. It’s a good mix.

You joined from SC Freiburg, but have spent the last two seasons at 1. FC Nürnberg. There were several other clubs interested in signing you this summer, including some from the Bundesliga. Why did you decide to join the Royal Blues?
When I heard that FC Schalke 04 were interested in me, that was it for me. I immediately said to myself that I really wanted to go there. My initial meetings with the club then confirmed that gut feeling. I’m glad that the details of the transfer were able to be finalised quickly and that I’m a Schalker now.

What goals have you set for yourself at S04?
This is one of the biggest clubs in Germany and they belong in the Bundesliga. I’m able to fully identify with the goals and plan that the club management laid out for me. I want to help us get back to playing top-flight football next season.

You usually play in midfield. Can you describe your role on the pitch in a few short sentences?
I feel most comfortable playing as a central midfielder, no matter if it’s as part of a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. I like to push forward and attack and like to have the ball at my feet. I can also play as a defensive midfielder or as a number 10, so I’m flexible like that.

You will wear the number 10 shirt. Was that the number you chose for yourself?
I usually prefer either number 6 or 8, but they were both taken already. The 10 shirt was available, so that’s why I decided to take that one.

You met several of your new teammates during last season’s winter training camp in Belek, because you were staying in the same hotel with 1. FC Nürnberg. Did you get to know anyone back then already?
Yes, I was able to talk to a couple of the lads in the days around our friendly. That includes Tom Krauß, who was a teammate of mine the season before. Florian Flick also had lots of positive things to say.

The new season begins in less than two weeks with an away game at Hamburger SV…
It’s a massive game! I’ve heard that the game sold out very quickly. A Friday night game under the floodlights between two great teams – it will definitely be an exciting game, and one that I’m already looking forward to.