Kiel coach Rapp ahead of Lautern game: "Not a test of character"
Holstein Kiel coach Marcel Rapp is not afraid of the special atmosphere at Betzenberg ahead of the second division match at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. "The boys have already played at Schalke and passed the character test there," he said on Friday, recalling the 2-0 win at the relegated Bundesliga side from Gelsenkirchen in August.
For Rapp himself, the emotional atmosphere in Kaiserslautern on Sunday (1.30 p.m./Sky) does not play a role either. After all, the Fritz Walter Stadium is in fourth place in the attendance table with an average attendance of more than 43,300.
When the game kicks off, he doesn't think about the atmosphere. "Then it's just a game. Then it's my job to coach the team well," said the 44-year-old. Before and after, however, he is also a soccer fan. "When you're allowed to coach in a stadium like this, it's naturally more fun than in some other stadiums. That's why I'm really looking forward to the game, to the atmosphere."
After the 4:2 win against Hamburger SV two weeks ago, Kiel travel to the Palatinate with a lot of confidence. They spent the international break in third place in the table. "We have to make sure that we make the game our game," said Rapp. "Then it doesn't matter how many spectators there are and which stadium we're in."
He is not looking at the table at this point in the season. "We've done quite well by sticking to ourselves, looking at what we can do well and what we need to do well." Rapp has no major personnel concerns. It is still unclear whether Jonas Sterner will be involved. The 21-year-old midfielder was recently ill.
Source: www.dpa.com
