Lars Stindl celebrated his surprise comeback for Karlsruher SC in the 0-0 draw against Schalke 04 shortly after announcing the end of his career. We spoke to him afterwards.
Lars Stindl announced the end of his career just last week. The 35-year-old will hang up his soccer boots at the end of the season.
The Karlsruhe SC striker had already had to sit out the last few weeks due to calf problems. And it seemed unclear whether he would even be able to play for his club again. In the 0-0 draw at FC Schalke 04, the striker made a somewhat surprising comeback. Stindl was substituted for Igor Matanovic in the final minute. Afterwards, the long-serving Borussia Mönchengladbach player spoke to this editorial team about his comeback. “I really enjoy playing soccer. And then to be back in a stadium like this, to be on the pitch in an atmosphere like this, it’s just a great feeling,” said Stidl after the game. “And that’s why I’m pleased that I was able to be a part of it again and hope to get another minute or two in the coming weeks.”
He thoroughly enjoyed his substitute appearance at Schalke, where he fought so many battles with Mönchengladbach, on his farewell tour with KSC, where he began his career. “Absolutely. The whole season is already a worthy setting. I’ve already deliberately thought about it. And every stadium and every team has its charms. And of course FC Schalke is a huge club, one of the biggest in Germany. It’s always something special to play here at Schalke.” The Veltins-Arena still absolutely radiates Bundesliga quality
However, even for insiders at Karlsruher SC, his involvement came as a surprise. It was only on Saturday that he and coach Christian Eichner decided to give him a few minutes. “That was kind of my goal, to come back after the international break without making a big fuss about it,” explained Stindl. “There was no pressure and no rush”, he added, because even with his experience he was unable to assess the injury exactly. “But I was actually always convinced that I would be back on the pitch.”
And how does the veteran rate the 0-0 draw at Schalke? “We were a bit lucky in the first half and had a good goalkeeper who kept us in the game. The longer the game went on, the more we were in control. If we had been a bit cleverer, we could have snatched the three points. But the result is fine as it is.”
He also said the same to a young S04 fan, who was only persuaded to take a photo with Stindl by his companion in the mixed zone with a Simon Terodde jersey in his hand at the second attempt. “You can live with the 0:0, can’t you?” he asked the boy. He nodded and everyone was somehow satisfied on this Easter Sunday