Football Bundesliga team ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen leads the table. RevierSport spoke to Damian Apfeld about the current situation and the tasks ahead.
ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen is at the top of the table after ten games in the top division. Who would have expected that before the season? Probably nobody! Thanks to the green table victory against Essen rivals FC Kray – the game ended 0-0, but one FCK player was not eligible to play – the traditional club is now even two points ahead of championship favourites SSVg Velbert.
ETB coach Damian Apfeld, who took over from Suat Tokat in the summer, reveals the reasons for the current success in an interview with RevierSport: “On the one hand, we have had a very good atmosphere in the team from day one. A lot of things grew together in our training camp. In addition, new players were signed in the course of the preparation and they have all integrated well. That really can’t be taken for granted because we have an extremely large squad. The fact that the guys are on the same wavelength is always the basis.”
On the pitch, the men from the Uhlenkrug have been almost consistently convincing so far. Apfeld knows that too: “We have an extremely large number of players at the moment who are performing excellently. That is the be-all and end-all. Of course, luck also plays a role. We didn’t have it in our only defeat in Sonsbeck, but we had it in other games. I hope that we will continue to collect points diligently. “
We have to be aware that things can go in a different direction sometimes. If there should be a setback, then we must not fall into a performance slump, but must show the appropriate reaction.
Damian Apfeld.
The month of October will be very demanding for ETB and possibly also trend-setting. The Essen club will play a total of seven competitive matches – six games in the league and the Niederrheinpokal quarter-final against Rot-Weiss Essen. In the Oberliga, the top games against KFC Uerdingen and at SSVg Velbert are on the agenda in the next few weeks.
But first, the focus is on the home match against Union Nettetal on Sunday (02 October, 3pm). “We have to look from game to game and then see how the boys cope with the strain. We have to be aware that things can go in a different direction sometimes. If there is a setback, then we must not fall into a performance slump, but must show the appropriate reaction,” explains Apfeld.
For Apfeld, being top of the table is a nice snapshot, but of course the Black and Whites will not give up their place in the sun without a fight. The coach appeals to the spectators: “Everyone must realise that there are clubs in the league that have other possibilities and have set themselves higher goals. We have to take the euphoria with us, but we should assess everything realistically. I’m not worried about that, though. “
