Football-Regionalligist FC Schalke 04 II can be more than satisfied with their start to the season. The captain – Rufat Dadashov – has played a big part in this.
Who would have thought before the regional league season that Schalke 04’s U23 would be ahead of the highly rated teams Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, Wuppertaler SV and Fortuna Köln after eight match days? Probably nobody. But with four wins, one draw and three defeats, coach Jakob Fimpel’s team is in fourth place in the table. On Saturday (17 September, 2 p.m.), the Knappen want to continue their winning streak at Fortuna Düsseldorf II.
RevierSport spoke to captain and top scorer Rufat Dadashov (30) before the game:
It’s a great honour for me to be the captain. I always try to lead the way – whether it’s in training or in the game. It starts with me being one of the first to arrive at training and one of the last to leave. I try to be a role model for the boys so that they can maybe learn something from me.
U23 captain Rufat Dadashov.
Rufat Dadashov, with 13 points after 8 games, you are currently in fourth place in the table. Had you personally expected such a positive start to the season?
Even before the season I said that we could cause a surprise this year and so far it looks quite good. Fourth place in the table is a nice snapshot. At the moment, many teams are very close to each other in terms of points, and there are only two or three points at the bottom. We have a really good team together and get along very well with each other. Our coaching team has a precise plan of how we want to play football. We try to implement it and so far I think we’ve done a good job of that.
After two opening victories, four games followed without a win. With a 3:1 in Oberhausen and a 4:1 against Düren, you have come back. What is the key to success?
We have a coaching team that knows exactly what we want and we as a team know that too. After the setbacks and defeats, we still stuck with ourselves and tried to do our thing. If you look at the defeats, there is no game that we really deserved to lose. From week to week we try to keep improving and I think that’s the key to success.
At 30, you are the oldest player in the Schalke II squad. Before the season, you were elected captain by the team. How do you perceive your captaincy?
It is a great honour for me to be the captain. I always try to lead the way – whether in training or in the game. It starts with me being one of the first to arrive at training and one of the last to leave. I try to be a role model for the boys so that they can maybe learn something from me. I’m also there for my teammates when things aren’t going well. For some, it can be easier to talk to a teammate than to go directly to the coach. All the boys know they can always come to me.
With four goals and three assists, you are the team’s top scorer. How satisfied are you with your performances so far?
Whether with goals or assists – I always try to lead the way. I’m not one hundred percent satisfied yet, as I should have had a few more goals under my belt. On the whole, my performance is okay with seven points from eight games.
What are your goals for the rest of the season, both personally and with the team?
Before the season, we set ourselves certain goals as a team. If possible, we would like to finish in single digits in the table and we are working hard for that. We want to play a better season than last year – we ended up ninth. My personal goal is to stay fit, healthy and injury-free. I’ve also set myself a personal goal, but I’m keeping it to myself. The important thing is that everyone stays injury-free and has fun. This year, the team, the coaching team and the whole environment are really good. And I think you can see that on the pitch as well.
