Geis breaks the deadlock on soft pitch

Being sidelined for five games due to a suspension is not an easy thing to go through, but FC Schalke 04's Johannes Geis did not seem affected as he returned to action on Bundesliga matchday 15, helping his club to a 3-1 home victory over Hannover 96. The Germany U21 international opened the scoring in the second half from the penalty spot.

The victory sees Schalke claim fourth place in the standings for the time being, as they ended a run of five games without a victory in the league. Geis spoke with the media following the victory and talked about his first Bundesliga goal for Schalke, what he learned from his long suspension and the team's celebration with the fans after the game.

Question: Johannes Geis, you scored a goal immediately upon returning from a five-game suspension and claimed an important win. Was it the perfect comeback?

Johannes Geis: Yes, it was. The victory was obviously the most important but it's great that I was able to help with my goal. Our aim was to end this dry spell and we achieved that.

Question: Schalke will be glad that they have a player back on board who can convert penalties.

Geis: We have enough players who can do that, but perhaps we haven't had luck on our side recently. It's my responsibility to score a penalty when I'm assigned to do it and I was glad that it allowed us to break the deadlock.

Question: Was the pressure at Schalke noticeable after the team failed to earn a win from their last five league games and crashed out of the DFB Cup?

Geis: Yes, if we'd lost this game, we would've dropped behind slightly in the race for Europe. The pressure was there but within the team we know that we can cope with that and the fans know it too. Everyone supports one another here.

Question: After the game you celebrated together with the fans. Have you ever experienced something like that before?

Geis: I've already played for Mainz, but Schalke's fans are even more special. They always give everything for their team. It was important that we approached them after this win and tried to give something back for their support.

Question: So it was a spontaneous act by the team?

Geis: Yes it was and I think it was great. We just said: "Let's go up there and thank them for their support!" Like I said, it's important for the fans to know that we are there for them too.

Question: What is the atmosphere in the team like going into the final three games of the year?

Geis: The atmosphere is good and it was before this win, too. Obviously we didn’t get the results we were looking for recently, but we played well and fought hard. Fortune wasn’t on our side in the 1-1 draw in Leverkusen but now we are back on track and everyone is satisfied. On Thursday we will look to confirm first place in our Europa League group in Tripoli and then we hope to conclude the year with two more good results in the Bundesliga.

Question: You've now scored a goal for Schalke in all three competitions. What did your first Bundesliga goal for the Royal Blues feel like?

Geis: Obviously it was something special and it was an important goal too to get us into the lead. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter who scores the goals for us. I'm still very happy to have scored for Schalke in all three competitions.

Question: What were your thoughts during your five-game suspension and what have you learned from it?

Geis: It was a long and difficult suspension. But I will not change the way I play, because I'm not a reckless tackler. If you've seen my performances over the years and know who I am, you will know that I'm not a malicious player. The most difficult thing was to watch the team struggle on the pitch and not being able to help. Fortunately that is not the case anymore and I've put the topic behind me.

Question: Do you think the same applies to Gladbach's André Hahn, who will be sidelined for months following his shin and calf fractures?

Geis: I think so. I wrote him an apology and he replied that he wasn't upset with me. Therefore I hope this matter is settled for him as well.

Question: Are you still in contact with him? You said that you did more than write him an apology...

Geis: I offered him my help and said that if there was anything I could do, he should contact me. He is going through rehab now, but André is a fine player and I think that he will return stronger than before and be a big asset for Gladbach.

Question: Do you think that three wins from the remaining three games this year are possible?

Geis: This is Schalke and we will do everything we can to achieve that. The game in Tripoli won't be easy, the same goes for our match in Augsburg before we host Hoffenheim. We should look to conclude the year on a high. If we earn wins from all three games we can be very satisfied. It will be difficult, but we are a good side and with the confidence from our win against Hannover we are not easily beaten.