Schuster: We’ve already played them at home this term and I think we made life tough for them for quite a lot of the game. They went in front put we put them under pressure and could have equalised. However, it wasn’t to be. From a purely financial perspective, it’s good to be playing in Munich because the potential gate receipts are higher, but it certainly would have been nice to be at home.
DFB.de: You were impressed with how they conducted themselves on that day....
Schuster: That’s very true. They weren’t arrogant or pompous – the players and staff were friendly and respectful. They’re very professional. We’d like to think that we’re like them on a personal level, although obviously they’re sporting capabilities are much higher.
DFB.de: Did that surprise you?
Schuster: Not really as I’ve never had any issues when dealing with them. From time to time you hear people state that they are arrogant but I’ve never experienced anything of the sort.
DFB.de: You’ve also faced them as a player. What was that like?
Schuster: I had a decent record against them – they’ve not always been as dominant as they currently are. I beat Bayern whilst playing for Karlsruher SC and 1. FC Köln. The win with Köln came in Munich so hopefully that’s a good omen!
DFB.de: Do you remember a lot about that game?
Dirk Schuster’s time at Darmstadt has been nothing short of remarkable – he’s taken them from the third division into the Bundesliga and they’re coping surprisingly well in the top tier. On Tuesday (20:30 CET) the Lilies travel to Bavaria to face FC Bayern in the last 16 of the DFB Cup. Ahead of the game he spoke to DFB.de about the upcoming tie, his side’s strengths and weaknesses and why he’s impressed by Pep Guardiola’s men.
DFB.de: Mr. Schuster, a lot of people have written you off ahead of tomorrow’s game. What are your thoughts?
Dirk Schuster: In a sporting sense they’re probably right – our chance of progressing is pretty slim. Bayern are special. They have an incredible squad full of world class players. Tomorrow they host a newly promoted side. The two sides are at entirely different levels.
DFB.de: So does that mean you’re going into the game without hope?
Schuster: We go into every game with hope. But we’re just being realistic.
DFB.de: How do you prepare the players for a game like this? Do you remind them of the play-off match in Bielefeld to highlight the idea that nothing is impossible?
Schuster: You can’t really compare the two to be honest. We were on a similar level to Bielefeld but Bayern are significantly better than us. To stand a chance of beating them we need all our Christmas’ to come at once and still hope for something extra. However, you can’t rule this sort of miracle out – football can be a strange game!
DFB.de: Are you disappointed that the game isn’t taking place at your home ground?
Schuster: We’ve already played them at home this term and I think we made life tough for them for quite a lot of the game. They went in front put we put them under pressure and could have equalised. However, it wasn’t to be. From a purely financial perspective, it’s good to be playing in Munich because the potential gate receipts are higher, but it certainly would have been nice to be at home.
DFB.de: You were impressed with how they conducted themselves on that day....
Schuster: That’s very true. They weren’t arrogant or pompous – the players and staff were friendly and respectful. They’re very professional. We’d like to think that we’re like them on a personal level, although obviously they’re sporting capabilities are much higher.
DFB.de: Did that surprise you?
Schuster: Not really as I’ve never had any issues when dealing with them. From time to time you hear people state that they are arrogant but I’ve never experienced anything of the sort.
DFB.de: You’ve also faced them as a player. What was that like?
Schuster: I had a decent record against them – they’ve not always been as dominant as they currently are. I beat Bayern whilst playing for Karlsruher SC and 1. FC Köln. The win with Köln came in Munich so hopefully that’s a good omen!
DFB.de: Do you remember a lot about that game?
Schuster: We parked the bus and never really ventured into their half, especially in the first half. Amazingly, we won the game 2-0.
DFB.de: Do any DFB Cup games from your career stand out for you?
Schuster: I always remember the final between KSC and Kaiserslautern in 1996. We made a fatal mistake and that’s why we didn’t win. Kaiserslautern had been relegated that season and then had to contest the final. I wouldn’t say we underestimated them, but I think we put too much emphasis on the fact that they were going down. They beat us 1-0 on the day- we simply weren’t very good. I learned a lot that day.
DFB.de: Are televised games against sides such as Bayern München still special for you – are you becoming used to it now?
Schuster: It’s still very special. It’s great to be in the Bundesliga facing big teams – we’re certainly not used to it. It’s important that we do our homework ahead of matches and treat every game as a final. Even though know points are at stake in Munich tomorrow, we’ll treat it like we do every game. But in some ways it’s easier for us because there’s no real pressure on us.
DFB.de: How do you mean?
Schuster: We have nothing to lose. Anything other than a comprehensive Bayern win would be a surprise. No one expects anything of us. Our aim is to play the game our way and put in a good performance. We want to show everyone that we’re a good side and are able to give good accounts of ourselves in every competition.
DFB.de: How pleased with your team are you currently?
Schuster: Incredibly so. The points tally and performances are pleasing. It’s great that we’re finally starting to express ourselves in games. We weren’t really doing that to start with but things are changing now. We’ve developed well as the season has progressed.
DFB.de: Are you surprised by the way that the Lilies have adapted to the Bundesliga?
Schuster: Surprised would be the wrong word. Ahead of the season our aim was to recruit players who knew the division well and were able to perform consistently at a high level. We were also fully aware that we wouldn’t necessarily be able to compete with all of the other teams in the division, both economically and sportingly.
DFB.de: How would you describe the way that the team play?
Schuster: We’re discplined defensively. We’re compact, tight and tacitcally sound. However, we’re also quite bold in an attacking sense. We created more chances in the game against Frankfurt than we had done in any previous match this term.
DFB.de: Why does this style work? Frankfurt knew exactly what was coming but they still lost the game…
Schuster: You’d have to ask them! Maybe it’s still a bit of a surprise to teams in the division. After all, Ingolstadt came up with us, play a similar style of football and are also doing well. If we played open, attractive football in every game, we’d probably be the league’s whipping boys.
DFB.de: What do you make of what the critics have to say?
Schuster: I don’t care to be honest. Big sides who have struggled against us will always look for excuses. It’s easier to say that the way we play caused the difficulties as opposed to just admitting that they weren’t able to find a way to beat us.
