“Freiburg is a bit like Amsterdam”

Guus Til made his full debut for SC in the 2-0 win over FC Augsburg (photo: Achim Keller).
First Team
31.03.2021

Guus Til arrived in Freiburg from Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow last summer.

Off the pitch, the Dutch attacker settled in quickly but on it, an ankle injury and strong competition in the squad has slowed down his progress this season. After making his full debut against FC Augsburg, the 23-year-old sat down for this weeks interview ahead of Saturday’s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach (20:30 CEST).

scfreiburg.com: Guus, when people Google your name, it says you were born in Zambia. What’s that all about?

Guus Til: I was expecting this question. (laughs) My father worked for a company that undertook projects all over the world, mainly in so-called developing countries. So my family spent some time in Africa and when I was born, my parents happened to be in Zambia by coincidence. After a year in Zambia, we moved on to Mozambique, and my sister was born in Namibia. We travelled all over Africa.

scfreiburg.com: Has anything in particular stuck with you from that time?

We went back to the Netherlands when I was three years old so my memories from that time are hazy. In the summer before the pandemic though, we travelled to all the places where we lived in my early childhood again. That was really nice and I'm sure I'll remember it for a long time.

scfreiburg.com: You have been living in Freiburg for nine months now. Does it feel like home to you yet?

Freiburg is a bit like Amsterdam. Everyone cycles everywhere and it’s very homely, like I was used to in the Netherlands. I do feel at home here and German is also similar to Dutch so that made it easier for me to adapt.

scfreiburg.com: You’ve only been able to experience Freiburg in a pandemic so far. Which parts of the city have you been able to explore?

I don’t know the real hotspots yet because I’m spending most of my time at home, like everyone else. Sometimes I go to the coffee shop in the Wiehre, otherwise I like to go for walks and to the Black Forest with my girlfriend and enjoy the mostly great weather. There's not much more we can do at the moment, but I try to make the best of it.

scfreiburg.com: You’re definitely spending most of your time out of the house at the Schwarzwald-Stadion at the moment. How would you explain to someone what makes SC Freiburg so special?

It’s a friendly, family-oriented club and you can see why so many players and coaches have been here for so long. But at the same time though, it’s an ambitious club. Even though the budget isn’t the highest in the league, we’re still in the top half of the table. I would say the club gets the maximum out of its potential. That describes it well in my opinion.

scfreiburg.com: You seemed to have fitted in well right from the start. Is that impression accurate?

The language barrier still makes it a bit difficult for me sometimes, but I’m an extrovert and rarely have problems making contact with people. My teammates were also very nice, which made it even easier.

scfreiburg.com: How have you kept yourself motivated week after week over the past few months?

Of course it was difficult and of course I had hoped to be able to play more. Unfortunately I injured my ankle as well, but in football every weekend gives you a new opportunity. My biggest motivation is to play a little bit better each week than I did the week before.

scfreiburg.com: You made your full debut against FC Augsburg. When did you find out that you’d be making your first start?

I suspected as much in training two days before, when I was included in the starting XI during a tactical exercise. On the day of the game itself, it was a bit strange without fans. It was a new experience for me as I played my last game in Russia in front of fans.

scfreiburg.com: Unfortunately, the empty stands will be staying with us for the time being. You scored for the U23s recently and scored against FC Basel in the friendly, so is that a sign of things on the up?

It’s a late start, but yeah I would say so. (laughs)

scfreiburg.com: Next up for SC is a trip to Mönchengladbach. We drew 2-2 to them earlier this season, so what are you expecting for the game on Saturday?

It’s a tough game, especially because we’re playing away. They’re a good side but we have good memories of playing them earlier this campaign. I’m hoping we can put in a performance like that again and get a good result.

scfreiburg.com: Mönchengladbach is quite close to the Dutch border. Have you ever been there?

No, I come from the North not the South. That’s where Mark Flekken comes from and that’s why he speaks a completely different dialect to me. Sometimes I have to really concentrate to understand him at all! (laughs)

scfreiburg.com: What will be the key factor if we’re to come home with three points on Saturday?

We have to be defensively compact, very aggressive, and creative in attack. We’re underdogs and we have to approach the game with that in mind.

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