Third-division Arminia Bielefeld can continue to write footballing history tonight in the semi-final of the DFB Cup (20:30 CEST). If they can overcome aspiring Champions League contenders VfL Wolfsburg, they will be the fourth team from the third tier of German football to reach the final in Berlin. A third division side has never triumphed in the final in the Olympiastadion though.
Norbert Meier’s Arminia are on the brink of achieving this season’s main aim. Following the recent 4-0 victory over Rot-Weiß Erfurt, the former first division outfit top the table heading into the final games of the season in the third division. One of the reasons behind the current success is striker Fabian Klos. The 27-year-old, who was born in Gifhorn, near Wolfsburg, is the division’s top scorer with 20 goals and has also hit the back of the net in the DFB Cup. He featured for Wolfsburg’s reserve team for two years. DFB.de caught up with Fabian Klos to talk about his time with the Wolves, what could prove to be the decisive factors in pulling off another cup shock and the particular challenges both himself and the opposition defenders will face in the upcoming match.
DFB.de: Mr Klos, do you think that your goal to give your team a 2-0 lead over Rot-Weiß Erfurt was one of the best you’ve scored this season?
Fabian Klos: In my opinion, it was one of the most important. When we went 2-0 up, the game was settled and the three points were in the bag. I don’t know if it was the most attractive goal I’ve ever scored though. Christoph Hemlein went one better with his goal from 60 metres. There was a little bit of luck involved in both goals. You obviously also need that little bit of quality. (laughs)
DFB.de: How important was the result with regards to the promotion battle?
Klos: The number of matchdays are decreasing and every win brings us a step closer. We’re on the verge of achieving our aim. It’s in our hands to get the decisive results.
DFB.de: Can Arminia now go into the DFB Cup semi-final match against VfL Wolfsburg without any pressure on their shoulders?
Klos: The victory in Erfurt was important in the league. It’s not relevant to the cup clash against Wolfsburg. The DFB Cup is a completely different competition with other conditions.
Third-division Arminia Bielefeld can continue to write footballing history tonight in the semi-final of the DFB Cup (20:30 CEST). If they can overcome aspiring Champions League contenders VfL Wolfsburg, they will be the fourth team from the third tier of German football to reach the final in Berlin. A third division side has never triumphed in the final in the Olympiastadion though.
Norbert Meier’s Arminia are on the brink of achieving this season’s main aim. Following the recent 4-0 victory over Rot-Weiß Erfurt, the former first division outfit top the table heading into the final games of the season in the third division. One of the reasons behind the current success is striker Fabian Klos. The 27-year-old, who was born in Gifhorn, near Wolfsburg, is the division’s top scorer with 20 goals and has also hit the back of the net in the DFB Cup. He featured for Wolfsburg’s reserve team for two years. DFB.de caught up with Fabian Klos to talk about his time with the Wolves, what could prove to be the decisive factors in pulling off another cup shock and the particular challenges both himself and the opposition defenders will face in the upcoming match.
DFB.de: Mr Klos, do you think that your goal to give your team a 2-0 lead over Rot-Weiß Erfurt was one of the best you’ve scored this season?
Fabian Klos: In my opinion, it was one of the most important. When we went 2-0 up, the game was settled and the three points were in the bag. I don’t know if it was the most attractive goal I’ve ever scored though. Christoph Hemlein went one better with his goal from 60 metres. There was a little bit of luck involved in both goals. You obviously also need that little bit of quality. (laughs)
DFB.de: How important was the result with regards to the promotion battle?
Klos: The number of matchdays are decreasing and every win brings us a step closer. We’re on the verge of achieving our aim. It’s in our hands to get the decisive results.
DFB.de: Can Arminia now go into the DFB Cup semi-final match against VfL Wolfsburg without any pressure on their shoulders?
Klos: The victory in Erfurt was important in the league. It’s not relevant to the cup clash against Wolfsburg. The DFB Cup is a completely different competition with other conditions.
DFB.de: What did you think when you were drawn against Wolfsburg?
Klos: That it thankfully wasn’t Bayern! (laughs) Seriously though, we’re a third-division team in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. We were always going to be considered the underdogs regardless of the tie. For us, the match against VfL is a bonus and we’re really looking forward to it.
DFB.de: Do you still have contacts at Wolfsburg?
Klos: I played for the reserve team for two years and was born nearby. However, I no longer have any ties to the club. During my time with Wolfsburg, I hardly had anything to do with the first team.
DFB.de: What will be important in the match against the second placed Bundesliga side?
Klos: We need to have a good evening and hope that some of the outstanding individuals in the opposition team aren’t on the top of their game. It’s important for us to put all emotion to one side and implement manager Norbert Meier’s plan. If you have a good system and do the basics right, you have the chance to get a positive result.
DFB.de: What particular personal challenge will you face coming up against Bundesliga defenders?
Klos: It’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to measure myself against experienced top-flight defenders. I can test how much I can keep pace with them. I’m also curious to see how the defenders deal with me and the threats I pose.
DFB.de: What are the reasons behind your successful cup run?
Klos: As a third-division side, you get home advantage in every round. Our fans have been an extremely important factor in our successes so far. We’ve also been tactically astute, haven’t conceded many goals and have shown real courage.
DFB.de: You have an important league match against second-placed Holstein Kiel just three days after the cup encounter. Is it difficult to switch focus after such a high profile match against Wolfsburg?
Klos: We’ve only managed to win once in the league after a cup match. Games against top-flight opposition are certainly enormously exhausting. In our cup matches, we haven’t had much possession and have had to do a lot of running. It’s not easy to then switch focus back to the league. We’re at home for the match and are coming up against one of our closest rivals. I don’t think that any players will have issues motivating themselves.
