In the 28th minute of Schalke 04’s friendly with FC Twente, Johannes Geis set the ball down for a free kick some 30 yards from goal. The Germany U21 international took one look at his target before expertly curling the ball over the wall and into the corner – Twente keeper Nick Marsmann was left with no chance. First home game, first goal – the midfielder’s debut in a Schalke jersey could hardly have gone better.
"We saw that he can play an important role for us, and not just through his excellent free kick," said Schalke head coach André Breitenreiter about his new no. 5. "He was our focal point in the middle; he showed that he can put in a good shift." The manager’s praise for his new signing came after he saw his side draw 1-1 against FC Twente in their seventh and final game of pre-season.
Before the game, Geis was able to experience the passion of over 100,000 of his new fans at the "Schalke Day", the club’s official season opening, before lining up against Twente in front of a packed-out stadium. There’s a real optimistic feel around the club ahead of the new season, with a new manager as well as a number of fresh faces like Geis, who joined the Royal Blues from FSV Mainz this summer. The Germany U21 international spoke to DFB.de about his successful home debut, how he has settled in to his new team, his short break after the U21 European Championship and his anticipation ahead of next season – a season that kicks off on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST) in the DFB Cup against MSV Duisberg.
DFB.de: Johannes Geis, is that how you dreamed your debut with Schalke would go?
Johannes Geis: Yes, of course. My goal was very nice. But I was brought in to set high standards and to reach them – and I managed that against Twente. I think I made a good start, but it would have been even better had we won the game.
DFB.de: To curl a free kick over the wall from 30 yards – not bad. How much confidence do you have in yourself?
Geis: I’ve got that in my locker. I put the ball down and I try not to think about whether I’m in training or playing in front of 33,000 people. That’s how I do it. From such a distance it’s obviously hard to find the back of the net; you have to hit it really well. But luckily I managed to do so to make it 1-0 in the game, and it proved to be a really good introduction for me.
DFB.de: How does the position you played in against FC Twente compare to what you thought your role in the team would be?
In the 28th minute of Schalke 04’s friendly with FC Twente, Johannes Geis set the ball down for a free kick some 30 yards from goal. The Germany U21 international took one look at his target before expertly curling the ball over the wall and into the corner – Twente keeper Nick Marsmann was left with no chance. First home game, first goal – the midfielder’s debut in a Schalke jersey could hardly have gone better.
"We saw that he can play an important role for us, and not just through his excellent free kick," said Schalke head coach André Breitenreiter about his new no. 5. "He was our focal point in the middle; he showed that he can put in a good shift." The manager’s praise for his new signing came after he saw his side draw 1-1 against FC Twente in their seventh and final game of pre-season.
Before the game, Geis was able to experience the passion of over 100,000 of his new fans at the "Schalke Day", the club’s official season opening, before lining up against Twente in front of a packed-out stadium. There’s a real optimistic feel around the club ahead of the new season, with a new manager as well as a number of fresh faces like Geis, who joined the Royal Blues from FSV Mainz this summer. The Germany U21 international spoke to DFB.de about his successful home debut, how he has settled in to his new team, his short break after the U21 European Championship and his anticipation ahead of next season – a season that kicks off on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CEST) in the DFB Cup against MSV Duisberg.
DFB.de: Johannes Geis, is that how you dreamed your debut with Schalke would go?
Johannes Geis: Yes, of course. My goal was very nice. But I was brought in to set high standards and to reach them – and I managed that against Twente. I think I made a good start, but it would have been even better had we won the game.
DFB.de: To curl a free kick over the wall from 30 yards – not bad. How much confidence do you have in yourself?
Geis: I’ve got that in my locker. I put the ball down and I try not to think about whether I’m in training or playing in front of 33,000 people. That’s how I do it. From such a distance it’s obviously hard to find the back of the net; you have to hit it really well. But luckily I managed to do so to make it 1-0 in the game, and it proved to be a really good introduction for me.
DFB.de: How does the position you played in against FC Twente compare to what you thought your role in the team would be?
Geis: We knew that Twente would try and make the pitch as narrow as possible, and that we would have to move the ball quickly. This being the case, it was good that I was always dropping deeper. To be honest my position depends on the system we’re playing, since in the previous friendly against Porto I played slightly further forward. The coach prepares me really well for each game; he points out where I should run to and where I should position myself. It’s working really well.
DFB.de: How have your first few weeks at Schalke been? How have you settled in?
Geis: Really great. The team has welcomed me really well, exactly as I’d imagined. The fans are something else too; I think we could all see that the other day. To have so many fans watching a friendly was something I’d never experienced before – it’s just amazing. It’s proved to me that I’ve made the right decision by coming here.
DFB.de: How did you find the Schalke Fan’s Day, where over 100,000 supporters came to be a part of the official season opening?
Geis: It was outstanding. To have so many supporters turn up to a fan’s day is something unparalleled in Germany, and Schalke can be very proud of it. It’s now our job to give back to the fans what they’ve given to us.
DFB.de: How would you assess the team’s situation one week before the season starts in the DFB Cup?
Geis: There are still a couple of things we need to work on, especially in terms of our defensive work. But we’ve also seen how well we’ve been attacking, and it’s just sometimes the final pass that leaves something to be desired. Now we’re going to be working on our freshness, and I’m convinced that we’ll be ready to make a good start in the cup and in the league.
DFB.de: Regarding your freshness – you only got a short break after the U21 European Championship this summer. How is your fitness level at the moment?
Geis: The coaches have managed my workload perfectly. It was obviously quite difficult for me to get into pre-season training at first, but right now I’m back at the point where I can say I feel fit and fresh. I’ll work hard on my fitness in training this week, and then I hope I can put in a good performance in the cup game on Saturday.
