"Fight for every ball with the same bite"

After the U20 South-American Championships, Allan Souza is back in Berlin. The Brazilian has been speaking to herthabsc.de about the weather, his enthusiasm for training and the upcoming game against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Berlin – Allan Souza laughs as he heads from the training pitches and sees his translator waiting for him. “We can do the interview in German, no problem,” he says jokingly after Wednesday morning’s (22/02) training session. The young Brazilian is clearly enjoying himself despite the wind, rain and temperatures to which he is not accustomed. The 19-year-old, who has only been back in Berlin for just over a week, is unable to conduct the whole interview in German, so he receives help from a translator and speaks in Portuguese. “I’m working hard on my English and I can understand a few words in German,” says Souza in English.

During the interview, the midfielder speaks about his experiences at the U20 South-American Championships, his fitness and this weekend’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt.

herthabsc.de: Allan, as a Brazilian, how difficult is it for you to adjust to the poor weather here in Berlin? 
Allan Souza: It was hard when I first came to Europe in 2015. In Finland it was even colder and it snowed when I was in Belgium. In England it rains a lot, but I don’t remember much about the weather in Berlin. When I came to Germany in the summer, the weather was very good. On the whole, I like Berlin a lot. I love getting to know the city better with my girlfriend.

herthabsc.de: In January you were with the Brazilian U20 National Team at the South-American Championships in Ecuador. People in Germany don’t know much about this tournament. Can you explain the significance of this competition in South America?
Allan: This competition is important to us. There’s a big rivalry between the nations that take part, therefore, all of the games are dicey. For us younger players it’s a chance to show what we can do in order to make the step up to the next level.

herthabsc.de: Your team came fifth. How do you feel about that?
Allan: We’re very disappointed with our performance. Brazil were probably the pre-tournament favourites. The other teams were highly motivated to beat us. It felt as though all of our opponents tried especially hard against us. That made it very difficult for us. Unfortunately, we weren’t consistent enough. It’s a real shame that we couldn’t win the title and didn’t qualify for the U20 World Championships in South Korea in the summer.

herthabsc.de: What did you, personally, take from the tournament?
Allan: For me it was another good experience. It was my first official tournament with Brazil. I didn’t play much because I was slightly injured. I probably could’ve played more, but I didn’t want to take any risks that would rule me out of playing for Hertha.

herthabsc.de: Are you worried that, because you missed winter training, you’ll be at a disadvantage in comparison to your teammates? 
Allan: Not really. I trained a lot with Brazil and always gave my best in every training session. Therefore, I haven’t gone rusty because I knew that the Hertha boys would be maintaining a high level. The missed training sessions aren’t a major issue. I know the boys, we’ve been playing together solidly for six months. I know how they want to play and if the coach needs me, I’m fit and available.

herthabsc.de: After the draw with Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt are next in line to visit the Olympiastadion on Saturday (25/02/17). How important would a home win be for the capital city club? 
Allan: The game against Bayern is in the past now, but it did leave a bitter taste in the mouth. We mustn’t forget, however, that we gave a good account of ourselves against an outstanding opponent. Now the focus turns to the game against Eintracht Frankfurt. We have to fight for every ball with the same bite. But we can’t be hectic, rather, we must be organised. A victory would be very important because we’re playing against a direct rival in terms of league position.