Andrej Kramaric: "A pleasure to be here"

Hello Andrej, welcome back. How did you find the first few training sessions?

Andrej Kramaric: It was tough to get back into it and the sessions were very intensive, but I’m sure we’ll survive (laughs).

Are you pleased to be back at TSG?

Kramaric: Yes, I am happy to see my teammates, the coaching staff and everyone else at the club again. I can sense a very positive energy in the team and the club, and I hope that we can keep that up.

How did you spend your holidays?

Kramaric: the free time really did me good. I was able to just switch off and relax. I spent the first week after the EUROs in bed, because I had to have a nose operation. I was struggling to breathe through it and so I went in for this minor procedure. I hope that this will make things a bit easier on the pitch. After that I went to the Croatian coast with my girlfriend, family and friends.

Did you also manage to stay fit during the holidays?

Kramaric: Because of my nose operation, I couldn’t do anything at all for two full weeks. The doctor said that it could have caused problems. I took part in some light training sessions towards the end of the break to ensure that I was a bit more prepared and to get my fitness levels up to scratch.

Looking back at EURO 2016, what did you take away from the tournament, what were your highlights and how happy were you with your team’s performance?

Kramaric: I have mixed feelings about the EUROs. It was a very special tournament, and the group stage went really well for us, causing a lot of people to count us among the favourites for the title. To be honest, everyone in the dressing room – the captain, the big players and the coaches – were all ready, and told us that they thought that we could do it. We had a big chance, and maybe the chance of a lifetime. But at the end of the day, the best team doesn’t always win in football. Luck plays a big part and sometimes it comes down to the fine details. And we did lose to the eventual champions Portugal. We were pleased with our performance, but nevertheless, we travelled home in a very sad mood after missing our big chance to write Croatian history. However, I had a great time in France. My teammates are also friends, and I played in the same club as many of them as a child. The atmosphere at the tournament was fantastic. Everything was set up perfectly and we were ready, but in the end we were just missing that bit of luck.

You signed a contract with TSG at the end of last season. How happy are you about this and what are your aims for the upcoming campaign?

Kramaric: All I can say is that it is a pleasure to be back here again. I am happy that I am able to stay. It was difficult for everyone last season but it’s great to be a part of the team and to have been able to help us stay up. the upcoming season will be a big test for me and the team. We have new players, and we will find our feet. If we perform as a team, play as we did towards the end of last season and work hard then we will be able to achieve a lot. I wouldn’t like to talk about where we will finish because the season hasn’t started yet and there are 34 matches to play.

You have been back on the training ground with Hoffenheim since Tuesday and there is a training camp next week. What are your expectations?

Kramaric: We are in the middle of pre-season at the moment and I can say that it isn’t the most anticipated part of the year for the players. It’s very difficult and there are a lot of sessions so it’s important to have a clear head and to recover well, in order to stay focused and not pick up an injury. It’s important for me to stay fit and healthy because then I can improve, play matches and win.

Download Now!