Forster strengthens Biel coach: ‘Matikainen lives for our team’

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Blick: Was the 1:5 against Servette another step backwards?
Defeat Forster: No, it wasn’t. After taking a 3-1 lead, Geneva played very quietly and hardly allowed any chances. We started well, but again we didn’t score. And then we concede two goals in a row. Throughout the season we often get stuck after conceding a goal. But there was no shortage of attitude, Geneva was just smarter.

On Friday against Kloten, for the first time in a long time, you had a line-up without many absentees. On Saturday against Servette, three key players were again missing: Haas, Hischier and Künzle. Isn’t that extremely cumbersome?
Of course it is, but what are you going to do? You can still complain or try anything. I think the only constant we have this season is that we somehow manage to get twenty players on the scoresheet in every match. But even if we had been less unlucky with injuries, it wouldn’t have been easy.

What do you mean?
It would have taken time for us to get to know the new coach and the new system, and for him to get to know us. Such a process takes time. Moreover, we had virtually no preparation phase. We played only three preparatory matches, after which the serious battles in the Champions League began. Certain mistakes we made later should have been made in preparation. But we couldn’t do that. But we are working on it and so is the coach.

How do you experience the new coach Petri Matikainen?
Rarely have I seen a coach who is so passionate about his work every day.

Above all, I see a Petri Matikainen who shows no emotion on stage and hardly says a word. How does his passion characterize you?
It’s like an iceberg. You see the top and we see what’s underneath. Matikainen really does everything. He writes entire posters in the dressing room, takes his time and calls the players in the evening. He lives for this job, he lives for our team. But no one sees that, except us within the team. That is why we also sacrifice ourselves. But right now there’s just a big worm in it.

At the table you slowly lose your skin because you don’t score enough points, but the competition in front of you does that regularly. How do you see this delicate situation?
At worst we have to finish tenth, but our aim is clearly to attack the top six. For this we need an average of two points per match, we are aware of that and defeats are always suboptimal. At some point we really have to start winning.

What advantage do you have in such a situation because you are already 40 years old and have seen a lot?
The result is that I no longer let everything get so close. In addition, I believe that I know what I need to achieve the best possible performance myself and thus make the best possible contribution to the team. I think a twenty year old might think about it more and need more support. I have an advantage there.

But you’re probably still imagining that your eventual final season would be anything other than just languishing in 12th place?
I have to make one thing clear now: last season we were riding a wave and we would have won games like that. We could do whatever we wanted and win. Now it’s like this: we can do whatever we want and lose. The truth lies in the middle. We are not as good as last season in qualifying. But in terms of qualifying we are not as bad as we are now. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. But we are where we are now and we have to be aware that we have to work harder to get points and win. And I think everyone here is aware of that.

You have now elegantly avoided me. Is your potential final season your final season?
You can ask me that again after the 40th round.

Source : Blick