Self-critical Elvedi: “I took it a little too lightly”

Even without the defense chief, Borussia and coach Gerardo Seoane managed to cancel the goal and end the series of five games without a win. The gap to the relegation place is again eight points, but now there are matches against Mainz and Cologne, which are below the line, followed by the match in Heidenheim and in between the cup quarter-finals in Saarbrücken. For Gladbach, these are the weeks of truth. “The goal is to further widen the downward gap as quickly as possible,” says Elvedi.

Two mixed seasons

The Zurich player has already had glorious times at Borussia Park. Since his arrival in 2015, Gladbach has played three times in the Champions League and in the 2020/21 season they even reached the round of 16 against Manchester City at the expense of Inter. “Of course it is more fun to play in the Champions League. But it is part of a footballer’s career that things don’t go well.”

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“The past few weeks have not been easy”

Things didn’t go as planned at Elvedi last summer either. The hoped-for change of atmosphere after eight and a half years in the Rhineland did not work and the move to Wolverhampton did not happen. Elvedi stayed with Borussia and extended his contract until 2027. However, the disappointment about the failed transfer was limited, because he feels very much at home at Gladbach. “But it wasn’t an easy time because I wasn’t eligible for the starting XI until my contract was extended.” He did not return to the field until September and quickly established himself as a regular player again.

The diet has completely changed

Elvedi speaks like he plays. Pragmatic, calm, thoughtful. But the Nati star is also self-critical. «The last two seasons I have not reached my performance limit, I have taken it too easy. There were too many fluctuations in my performance.” This is also the reason he has made changes compared to the current season. After competitions, stretching and pedaling on the ergometer are now part of the standard program, and occasionally he also goes to a cooling room in Düsseldorf to promote regeneration.

Elvedi has also changed his diet. He avoids gluten completely, and citrus fruits, tomatoes and avocado are also removed from the menu because doctors diagnosed him with a histamine intolerance. The effect of the adjustments is noticeable. ‘I feel better on the field. I think that is also reflected in the performance.”

Elvedi appreciates that he likes to be in the kitchen himself. Especially in the evening. “But I’m not a professional chef,” he says, laughing. His special recipe? «Lasagna – gluten-free. I’m really good at that.” He has also had a small dog for almost three years, another hobby is gaming on the PlayStation, Fortnite and Warzone are his current favorites. His girlfriend in Düsseldorf, who has returned to Zurich for a master’s degree, also visits him regularly.

Brotherly duel beckons

Elvedi’s focus these weeks is solely on football. While staying in the Bundesliga is the top priority to stay in the league, a lot is possible in the cup. “This is extremely important for us and the fans,” said Elvedi. It hasn’t been this easy to reach the final for a long time. With Saarbrücken and Kaiserslautern, two opponents from the lower division ensure that Gladbach does not reach the final. Borussia has won the cup three times so far, the last time being in 1995.

But the road to Berlin is anything but a sure success. Third division Saarbrücken eliminated Bayern Munich and Frankfurt, and Gladbach would face the infamous Betzenberg in the semi-finals. This would be a special match for Elvedi, as he would face his twin brother Jan. “We always wanted to play against each other,” says Nico Elvedi. However, the parents never wanted that. “But at least one of us would definitely be in the final.” But that – just like the European Championships in Germany – is something of the future. For the time being, Elvedi and Co. keep direct competition in the league at bay.

1st Bundesliga 23/24

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Bayer Leverkusen	23	43	61
	2	Bayern Munich	23	37	53
	3	VfB Stuttgart	23	23	47
	4	Borussia Dortmund	23	16	41
	5	RB Leipzig	23	19	40
	6	Eintracht Frankfurt	23	6	34
	7	TSG Hoffenheim	23	-2	30
	8th	Werder Bremen	23	-3	30
	9	SC Freiburg	23	-12	29
	10	1. FC Heidenheim 1846	23	-7	28
	11	FC Augsburg	23	-8th	26
	12	Borussia Monchengladbach	23	-4	25
	13	VfL Wolfsburg	23	-8th	25
	14	Union Berlin	23	-14	25
	15	VfL Bochum	23	-18	25
	16	1. FC Cologne	23	-21	17
	17	FSV Mainz	23	-19	15
	18	SV Darmstadt 98	23	-28	13