"I want to remain a part of this project"

Salomon Kalou spoke to herthabsc.de about the reasons behind his contract extension, the support of the fans and the club and the game against FC Köln.

"I WANT TO REMAIN A PART OF THIS PROJECT"

Salomon Kalou spoke to herthabsc.de about the reasons behind his contract extension, the support of the fans and the club and the game against FC Köln.

The man of the moment was missing from Wednesday’s training session in Berlin. Salomon Kalou came out onto the training pitch ten minutes after his teammates. The attacker didn’t train with his colleagues, he instead did individual work alongside Mitchell Weiser and fitness coach Hendrik Vieth. It was a precautionary measure. The 31-year-old said himself, “I’m feeling better every day and am working hard in order to be fit for Köln.” However, today’s training session was somewhat subsidiary for the Ivorian today. After training, we caught up with Kalou to discuss the decision to extend his contract, the development of the team and a personal wish.

herthabsc.de: Salomon, you’re staying at Hertha! How do you feel?

Salomon Kalou: I feel great! It’s nice that Hertha and I have agreed a new deal. I’m very pleased that I’m going to be staying here.

herthabsc.de: What were the main reasons behind your decision to stay in the capital?

Kalou: We’ve started something here and have shown over the last two years that we’ve progressed. We can still develop further. I want to remain a part of this project. Everything is perfect here. Not just the team, but the fans appreciate me and that’s very important. The club is always behind me even after a difficult start. For me it was important to show that I feel at home and am really happy here.

herthabsc.de: The fans have a special song for you. Do you hear the song when you’re on the pitch? Kalou: Yeah I know the song (laughs). I like hearing it. It’s an honour for me because it shows appreciation from the fans.

The man of the moment was missing from Wednesday’s training session in Berlin. Salomon Kalou came out onto the training pitch ten minutes after his teammates. The attacker didn’t train with his colleagues, he instead did individual work alongside Mitchell Weiser and fitness coach Hendrik Vieth. It was a precautionary measure. The 31-year-old said himself, “I’m feeling better every day and am working hard in order to be fit for Köln.” However, today’s training session was somewhat subsidiary for the Ivorian today. After training, we caught up with Kalou to discuss the decision to extend his contract, the development of the team and a personal wish.

herthabsc.de: Salomon, you’re staying at Hertha! How do you feel?
Salomon Kalou: I feel great! It’s nice that Hertha and I have agreed a new deal. I’m very pleased that I’m going to be staying here.

herthabsc.de: What were the main reasons behind your decision to stay in the capital?
Kalou: We’ve started something here and have shown over the last two years that we’ve progressed. We can still develop further. I want to remain a part of this project. Everything is perfect here. Not just the team, but the fans appreciate me and that’s very important. The club is always behind me even after a difficult start. For me it was important to show that I feel at home and am really happy here.

herthabsc.de: The fans have a special song for you. Do you hear the song when you’re on the pitch?
Kalou: Yeah I know the song (laughs). I like hearing it. It’s an honour for me because it shows appreciation from the fans.

herthabsc.de: You trained individually on Tuesday and Wednesday. How fit are you going into the game on Saturday (18/03/17, 15:30 CET)?

Kalou: I’m getting better every day and working hard in order to be fully fit for Köln. It’s very important that we pick up points there. We’re very strong at home, now we need to start picking up points away from home. At the end of the season, every match is important and every team is fighting to win. That makes every game difficult. Köln will be a tough opponent like Bayern and Dortmund were.

herthabsc.de: If you had one wish which could come true during your time in Berlin, what would it be?

Kalou: To win the DFB Pokal. That would be brilliant!

herthabsc.de: You trained individually on Tuesday and Wednesday. How fit are you going into the game on Saturday (18/03/17, 15:30 CET)?
Kalou: I’m getting better every day and working hard in order to be fully fit for Köln. It’s very important that we pick up points there. We’re very strong at home, now we need to start picking up points away from home. At the end of the season, every match is important and every team is fighting to win. That makes every game difficult. Köln will be a tough opponent like Bayern and Dortmund were.

herthabsc.de: If you had one wish which could come true during your time in Berlin, what would it be?
Kalou: To win the DFB Pokal. That would be brilliant!

He said...

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"A free wish? To win the DFB Pokal, that would be brilliant!"
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-Salomon Kalou