In the past weeks, 18-year-old Ahmed Kutucu had been playing in the A-Junioren-Bundesliga, but he was Man of the Match as FC Schalke 04 beat Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-1 in the DFB-Pokal round of 16. DFB.de spoke to Kutucu about the biggest game of his career so far.
Dfb.de: Ahmed Kutucu, you recently signed your professional contract and you took the lead for FC Schalke 04 in the DFB-Pokal. How are you feeling about it all?
Ahmed Kutucu: I am incredibly happy with everything; that we have got through to the next round, the fact that I played, got the trust from the head coach, scored a goal and for getting the Man of the Match award.
Dfb.de: Talk us through your goal!
Kutucu: Mark Uth laid the ball off to me and I simply wanted to score.I instinctively cut inside. The ball ended up in the back of the net and I kissed the badge as I celebrated.
Dfb.de: Where will you put your Man of the Match award?
Kutucu: At the moment, it is in my bed room, so I can sleep with it beside me.
Dfb.de: What was the decisive factor for your victory over Düsseldorf?
Kutucu: We were simply hungry for goals and able to score goals. We played well throughout the game, were aggressive and took our chances. Therefore, we won the game.
Dfb.de: Early on you were very aggressive and picked up a yellow card.
Kutucu: That isn’t a problem for me. You have to let them know you're there!
Dfb.de: You were born in Gelsenkirchen, and were able to celebrate in front of your fans in the VELTINS-Arena. What was it like to celebrate and see all the happy faces?
Kutucu: It was an incredible feeling. For the goal celebration, I just went crazy, like the fans. I had tears in my eyes. It’s always been a dream to play in the VELTINS-Arena and of course score too.
Dfb.de: What role do you see yourself playing in the team from now?
Kutucu: That's the coach’s decision to make. I am happy if I can play or get subbed on. I will give my best and always fight for this club. I feel good in the team, but the hard work isn’t just for the 90 minutes on the pitch.
Dfb.de: How much confidence does this victory give you for the Bundesliga?
Kutucu: It will give us a lot of confidence. We hope that we can now go and beat Bayern on the weekend.
Dfb.de: Which team do you want to get in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal?
Kutucu: It doesn’t matter to me. I can play against any team. A home game would be nice though.
Dfb.de: What significance does the DFB-Pokal have for you?
Kutucu: It’s big – simply because it’s the DFB-Pokal. You want to win it every year. In the cup, anything is possible, anything can happen. I hope that we can lift the cup.
Dfb.de: Before the game, there was the sad news about the passing away of Rude Assauer. How did you find out?
Kutucu: I saw it on Instagram before the game and was upset by it. Rudi Assauer was a big name in the club. I would like to send my condolences to his family.
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In the past weeks, 18-year-old Ahmed Kutucu had been playing in the A-Junioren-Bundesliga, but he was Man of the Match as FC Schalke 04 beat Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-1 in the DFB-Pokal round of 16. DFB.de spoke to Kutucu about the biggest game of his career so far.
Dfb.de: Ahmed Kutucu, you recently signed your professional contract and you took the lead for FC Schalke 04 in the DFB-Pokal. How are you feeling about it all?
Ahmed Kutucu: I am incredibly happy with everything; that we have got through to the next round, the fact that I played, got the trust from the head coach, scored a goal and for getting the Man of the Match award.
Dfb.de: Talk us through your goal!
Kutucu: Mark Uth laid the ball off to me and I simply wanted to score.I instinctively cut inside. The ball ended up in the back of the net and I kissed the badge as I celebrated.
Dfb.de: Where will you put your Man of the Match award?
Kutucu: At the moment, it is in my bed room, so I can sleep with it beside me.
Dfb.de: What was the decisive factor for your victory over Düsseldorf?
Kutucu: We were simply hungry for goals and able to score goals. We played well throughout the game, were aggressive and took our chances. Therefore, we won the game.
Dfb.de: Early on you were very aggressive and picked up a yellow card.
Kutucu: That isn’t a problem for me. You have to let them know you're there!
Dfb.de: You were born in Gelsenkirchen, and were able to celebrate in front of your fans in the VELTINS-Arena. What was it like to celebrate and see all the happy faces?
Kutucu: It was an incredible feeling. For the goal celebration, I just went crazy, like the fans. I had tears in my eyes. It’s always been a dream to play in the VELTINS-Arena and of course score too.
Dfb.de: What role do you see yourself playing in the team from now?
Kutucu: That's the coach’s decision to make. I am happy if I can play or get subbed on. I will give my best and always fight for this club. I feel good in the team, but the hard work isn’t just for the 90 minutes on the pitch.
Dfb.de: How much confidence does this victory give you for the Bundesliga?
Kutucu: It will give us a lot of confidence. We hope that we can now go and beat Bayern on the weekend.
Dfb.de: Which team do you want to get in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal?
Kutucu: It doesn’t matter to me. I can play against any team. A home game would be nice though.
Dfb.de: What significance does the DFB-Pokal have for you?
Kutucu: It’s big – simply because it’s the DFB-Pokal. You want to win it every year. In the cup, anything is possible, anything can happen. I hope that we can lift the cup.
Dfb.de: Before the game, there was the sad news about the passing away of Rude Assauer. How did you find out?
Kutucu: I saw it on Instagram before the game and was upset by it. Rudi Assauer was a big name in the club. I would like to send my condolences to his family.
