Florian Grillitsch: a massive opportunity in the Europa League

The situation, with many players out injured or unwell, has not been an easy one to cope with. ''That can't be used as an excuse, because I think we always had a top team out on the pitch. We managed to deal with it well in the Europa League, but it wasn't enough in the Bundesliga. And that's obviously something we want to improve.'' Unfortunately, the quality of the team's football has also suffered as a result, believes Grillitsch: ''You're not in a position to go out there full of confidence and deliver an attacking spectacle. Instead, you have to focus on the basics and reestablish the right foundation.''

Grillitsch's standing at TSG, where he is now playing his fourth season, has changed considerably over time. ''When you first arrive at a club, especially when you're fairly young, you have to first find out where your standing is. I found things difficult at the start under Julian Nagelsmann,'' says the Austrian as he reflects on his arrival in Hoffenheim as a 21-year-old signing from Werder Bremen. ''Now I definitely belong to the group of leaders, the players who step up and drive the team forward when things aren't going so well. That's one-hundred percent what I want to be doing. I'm not the type to hide away when the going gets tough. The sun doesn't always shine. There will always be times when it rains.''

After the first-leg tie on 18 February, which will now take place at the home ground of Spanish La Liga club Villareal, and the second leg a week later, Grillitsch is hoping he can look forward to a clash with big-name opposition: ''Of course it's nice to play against big clubs - clubs like Roma, Arsenal or Benfica. You always want to measure yourself against the very best. We're taking it as it comes. And next up are Molde,'' says Grillitsch.