"I hate it when I lose!"

Berlin - Four games remain before the 2017/18 season is all over for Hertha BSC. There’s still a lot ot be decided at the top and bottom of the table and one thing we know for sure is that Pál Dárdai’s side want to get as many points on board as possible: One player hoping to help the side do that is Valentino Lazaro. The Austria international who moved to the club from Salzburg last summer has hit the ground running at the Blue-Whites. “Tino has a winning mentality. We’re delighted to have him in our ranks,” praised Pál Dárdai who is certain that the 22-year-old will remain in Berlin for the foreseeable future. We spoke to Lazaro about the praise he’s received from the head coach and about the forthcoming away game in Frankfurt.

herthabsc.de: Valentino, would you say you’re a winner? That’s what Pál Dárdai has said…
Lazaro: (smirks) … I haven’t heard him say that to me personally but one of my teammates told me he’s given me some praise. I’m happy to hear that but I have to continue impressing. Otherwise, it doesn’t mean much. I don’t really know if I have a winning mentality. I hate losing that’s for sure. Perhaps I’ve developed a winning mentality. I want to show that with my performances on the pitch in which I fight for every ball, put in the hard yards, get assists and score goals. That’s what I play football for.

herthabsc.de: Against Köln, you played the second half at right-back. You’ve featured at full-back at your former club Salzburg too. You’ve also played in centre attacking midfield here. Do you have a preferred position?
Lazaro: I feel most at home attacking whether that’s through the centre or on the wings. I’ve always enjoyed playing as a number 10 since I was a youngster. I also feel at home on the wings too. Of course, I don’t mind helping out in defence if the coach needs me too. You can make the full-back role an attacking one too!

herthabsc.de: Since the end of last year, Franco Foda has been the head coach of the Austria national team and you’ve won both your games under him but will not be at the World Cup this summer. What role do you have in the national team set-up?
Lazaro: I’ve been impressed with the new head coach. He’s been well-received and we’ve been training at a good intensity. We’ve won our first three friendlies and, ahead of the World Cup, we face Russia, Germany and Brazil. It won’t be easy against the record World Cup holders and the reigning champions. Hopefully, I’ll be coming up against Marvin Plattenhardt though. I’ve made 13 appearances for the national team now. Now, on a personal level, I want to improve my standing with the national team. I think my move to Germany and my performances at Hertha have helped out a lot.

herthabsc.de: Your first season at Hertha BSC is coming to its conclusion. How have you found it so far?
Lazaro: I’m very happy at Hertha BSC and in Berlin. I’m happy to have made the move here. The first few months were about building my confidence and now I’m definitely hungry for more. I feel like I’m improving all the time. I currently have two goals and four assists and I want to build on that. I think having a full pre-season here will help me and the team.

herthabsc.de: On Saturday, we face Eintracht Frankfurt who are in the DFB-Pokal semi-final and are in contention for a European spot. How do you rate them?
Lazaro: Frankfurt are having a very, very good season. I think they’re having the best season in the last 26 years. Frankfurt have a good head coach and lots of quality within the team. I know Niko Kovac from my time at Salzburg. However, it seems at the moment they’re having a little wobble after the head coach news and we want to use that to our advantage to get three points.

herthabsc.de: After the win against Köln, Hertha are in ninth place with 39 points with four games to go. What are your aims for the rest of the season?
Lazaro: The European spots are still feasible but it could be very difficult. Even though we have lots of potential in the side, we’ve given away too many points. We don’t have a specific points objective but we’re heading into each game aiming to win. It’s a cliché but it’s true.