Soccer - Cracker on the Betzenberg: "Club" wants to reach the quarter-finals
Floodlights, Betzenberg, emotions: After two crushing defeats in the 2nd Bundesliga, 1. FC Nuremberg will be looking for a change of mood with a win in the DFB Cup round of 16 at 1. FC Kaiserslautern in front of almost 50,000 spectators. "It's all about mentality. And we have to be there from the very first second," warned coach Cristian Fiél on Monday. "We have to finally do our thing again."
1:4 at Karlsruher SC, 0:5 against Fortuna Düsseldorf: After two defeats in a row, Fiél wants to finally see an active Nuremberg team that plays with a lot of heart on the pitch again on Tuesday (18:00) at Betzenberg.
"I won't forget what the boys did weeks ago," said the Spaniard, recalling the promising phase before the international break. "Do we want and need to do better tomorrow? Yes, we will definitely try to do that." Heavy defeats would not be "so much fun" for his boys.
The Franconians would be delighted to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in a row, along with a bonus of around 1.7 million euros. "No matter how, that's what we want to achieve," said Fiél, formulating the clear goal.
The Nuremberg coach is concerned about the participation of midfielder Jens Castrop, who was recently suspended in the league and is suffering from an injury. Fiél is also considering giving one or two players a break. Or, in the case of central defender Jannes Horn, who is now suspended in the league, to bring in a new back line. "Those are definitely considerations that are on our minds," admitted Fiél.
Kaiserslautern have a new coach in Dimitrios Grammozis as successor to Dirk Schuster, who has only been in office since Sunday. "You can't do much differently in one or two days," said Fiél calmly. "The players are the same."
In attack, these are powerhouses like Terrence Boyd and Ragnar Ache, who are strong in the air, i.e. where the club has its problems with crosses. "You'll be served up these issues again," warned Fiél.
His opposite number, Grammozis, has done a lot of video study and held one-on-one discussions for the mood kick. The former Schalke coach hopes that his players will be able to implement "one or two things that we have given them" in front of at least 48,000 spectators. "I'm really looking forward to the game," continued Grammozis. "You want to experience a crowd like that."
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- FC Kaiserslautern, under their new coach Dimitrios Grammozis, are preparing for the DFB Cup round of 16 against 1. FC Nuremberg, hoping to turn the tables after two consecutive defeats.
- The Betzenberg stadium in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, will be illuminated by floodlights for nearly 50,000 spectators, eager to witness this crucial soccer clash.
- Cristian Fiél, the Nuremberg coach, is urging his team to maintain a positive mentality and begin the game with vigor, aiming to put their recent 1:4 defeat against Karlsruher SC and 0:5 against Fortuna Düsseldorf behind them.
- The coach is worried about midfielder Jens Castrop, who has been suspended and dealt with an injury, as well as considering giving a few players a break or introducing a new defensive line with the absence of Jannes Horn.
- Dimitrios Grammozis, on the other hand, has been conducting video study and individual consultations to boost the squad's morale, with a focus on exploiting Nuremberg's struggles with aerial balls, as players like Terrence Boyd and Ragnar Ache present strong aerial threats.
- Coach Fiél, despite the short time Kaiserslautern has had under Grammozis, acknowledged the fact that the players haven't changed and assured a tough battle in the Rhineland-Palatinate climate, which the Nuremberg team is familiar with due to their history in Bavaria.
- Should Nuremberg triumph in this match, they will proceed to the quarterfinals for the second time in a row, securing them a bonus of approximately 1.7 million euros, a goal which is fiercely desired by the head coach Fiél.
- With an electric atmosphere expected on the Betzenberg soccer pitch and the future of both teams hanging in the balance, Tuesday's 18:00 DFB Cup match promises to be a spectacle for German soccer fans.
Source: www.stern.de
