Bundesliga comeback against ex-club
©IMAGO
It was an emotional return to the Bundesliga for Niklas Best. Almost nine months after his last mission in the German football Oberhaus, he made his debut for SC Freiburg against his ex-club 1. FC Heidenheim. The 26-year-old, who switched from Benfica Lisbon to Breisgau for 8 million euros in winter, was substituted for Ritsu Doan (26) in the 84th minute and collected his first minutes for the Freiburg victory at the end.
“I was received very warm in the stadium, of course you notice that as a player and make it easier for you. It is always very difficult to get in in such close games, because of course it is about a lot. The opponent presses, you want to defend it and then it is about 50:50 balls or about relieving briefly. In the end it counts to bring the victory over time, we did it, ”the“ kicker ”quoted the best after the game in the mixed zone.
The fact that the fourth defeat in a row was for the crisping Heidenheimers also swung in the emotional world of the left outer rail player. “Of course I am extremely happy to be able to celebrate my debut here for the SC at home, then with the victory. On the other hand, I had two great years with the Heidenheim boys, with the whole staff, with the whole club. When the referee whistles, you look into the faces and know how they feel and what is currently about there. You feel there. But I also said to the boys: ‘All the best. I believe in you, you can do it. ‘ I am firmly convinced that you will end up in the end. ”Currently the FCH is on the relegation place, the Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum behind it on Sunday.
The best about reasons for switching to SC Freiburg & competition
In Freiburg, the best meets his former colleague Eren Dinkçi (23), from whom he got advice before his change. But those responsible also delivered good arguments for a change, after the best at Benfica as a result of the separation of coach Roger Schmidt had not been one of the regulars. “You had a few conversations in advance and I still had Eren as the contact person, so I was able to ask one or the other thing. But even after the first conversation with those responsible and with the coach, it was great for me in terms of sport. ”The calm and the family at the SCF were also important factors. Therefore, it was “a hundred percent of the right decision” to switch to the Breisgauer.
There he is supposed to support top scorer Vincenzo Grifo (31, six goals and seven templates in the Bundesliga), but Doan is also a opponent on the offensive outside. The best thing wanted to know about competition but nothing that preferred to put the qualities of the two in the foreground. “These are great players, you can see that in training. On the ball but also against the ball, both have an eerie quality. These are super individualists, but both very team -related, so great players, but I also have to say two great guys. ”
For himself personally, he has decided to stay healthy and “to have fun, to find out, to break in and to put no pressure”. Nevertheless, he naturally wanted to help the team as quickly as possible with scorers. At Heidenheim, the best had shown outstanding achievements in his first Bundesliga season and was instrumental with eight goals and 13 templates in the move into the Conference League. He “has a claim to myself. No pressure to get pressure is nice to hear, but I also know that the club got me to help the team. It is important to find a healthy mix. “
