Pirmin Schwegler on...

…his move to TSG

Last season in Frankfurt was unlucky and was shaped by a lot of injuries. After five years at Eintracht, I was looking for a new challenge because I'm at the prime age for a footballer. I also had the feeling that I was no longer developing as a player. The conversations with Alexander Rosen and Markus Gisdol were open and very positive, so I went ahead with the transfer. This club has a clear philosophy and they are consequently walking down the path of playing attractive, attacking and aggressive football. That particularly appealed to me. The fact that I met Markus Gisdol at the airport in the Maldives didn't play a role in my transfer. I didn't have an offer from TSG back then.

...his arrival and role in the team

I got a really good feeling from the first day and I quickly learnt that there is a great team spirit. We have a good mixture of experience and young, talented players who need guidance. I was the captain in Frankfurt but I'm new at TSG and I'm not here to undermine Andreas Beck's captaincy (laughs). I think that the hierarchy is right in the team and everyone has found their role in pre-season.

...the training camp in Brunnen

It's great to train in my home country and if it was up to me, I'd come here every summer. During the season there's never enough time to go back to Switzerland, so I'm really enjoying the training camp because of this. The conditions are really good, the hotel is great and even after rainfall we still have an ideal training pitch. We've worked really hard so far and our legs are starting to hurt. I'm feeling the strain.

...the coming season

We're not here to only talk about targets, but to work. It's obvious that we have a good team with plenty of very ambitious players and a manager with a clear plan. But success is dependent on many things, mostly on small details, and often on having luck at the right moment. The Bundesliga is tough and always close, so it makes no sense to make a target for our position in the table next season.

...the Switzerland national team

Of course I'd like to be a part of the team, but that'll only happen if I consistently play well at Hoffenheim. It was terrible that I couldn't travel to Brazil because of my difficult season. In life you can either stay where you are or aim for higher things, and I always go for the second option. I'm not at the age of retirement yet and I have plenty of time to make appearances for the national team.