Chicco, you’ve been at SCFreiburg for over 16 years now. Are you still enjoying it here as much as you always have?

There have obviously been lots of great periods, but an unbeaten run like this one is right up there. We’re really enjoying it at the moment and we hope that we can remain undefeated for as long as possible.

You definitely need a bit more than just luck to go 10 Bundesliga games without defeat. Can you explain why things are working so well at the moment?

There are several reasons. The bulk of our squad has been together for a long time now. We’ve got a number of young players, who are developing really well and are putting pressure on the more established ones. Aside from that, we also gained a couple of new players over the summer that have improved us even more. All that combined with our hard work each day on the training ground has helped to take us to that next level. That’s why we’re so successful right now.

We’re third in the table with 22 points from 10 games. How nice is it to wake up and not have to look at the lower half of the table?

It’s really nice and reassuring. We’ve had it a few times in previous years where we were at the wrong end of the table towards the end of the season and had to really fight to survive, so it’s a lot more relaxing right now. We’re doing all we can to ensure this period of success continues.

You scored your first goal of the season on Saturday against Fürth. There are worse times for your first goal of the campaign than in the first home game with a full crowd since the pandemic began, aren’t there?

Oh absolutely. A new, full stadium – it was amazing.

More than 30,000 fans celebrated you and your goal. What were your thoughts on the crowd?

Going into the game knowing that there would be space for more fans than at the Dreisamstadion got me really excited beforehand. I had high expectations and they were completely fulfilled. It was really great and I got goosebumps a few times. We’re now looking forward to future home games in a sold-out stadium.

Does the new ground already feel like home?

Of course. We’ve already played two competitive games there and were successful both times, drawing with Leipzig and then beating Fürth. This start has made it easier to feel at home there – even though things aren’t as exactly as they were at the old ground. That’ll take a bit of time to get used to.

What are you not yet used to?                                       

The general surroundings. We are still training next to the Dreisamstadion and are there every day. As a result, we only see the new stadium and the inside of it every two weeks, so we’re still not used to where to go around the various rooms before the game. That will come the more we play there though.

Your wife and kids were at the ground on Saturday. Did they see dad’s goal?

I don’t know if they all saw it, but they were at least there and celebrated it. Funnily enough, I told my family the day before the game that I would score, which is pretty unusual for me. The fact that it actually happened and I kept my word made my wife, me and my children really happy.

Did the good mood continue once you got home?

The kids always enjoy it when I score, they like to give me a lot of praise for it. That still doesn’t change anything regarding my father duties when we’re back home though.

Up next is a game against the record champions and league leaders FC Bayern. Looking at the standings, it’s a real top-of-the-table clash. How does that sound to you?

That obviously sounds great. We know, however, who we are playing and how the game normally goes. Nevertheless, we’ve rightly got a lot of confidence right now and we’ll take that into the match in Munich. We want to give 100% to try and get the best possible outcome. If we can’t win it, we should at least try and nick a point.

What are you expecting in Munich?

I expect Bayern to have a lot of the ball, so our focus needs to be on our work without possession. We’ll need to work really hard, play a real intense game and always put them under pressure to try and force mistakes out of them. We’ll then hopefully find space when we have the ball and we’ll have to be clinical with any chances we get.