"I'm just doing my job"
"I'm just doing my job"
Hertha right-back Peter Pekarík discusses qualifying for the Euros with Slovakia, his newfound knack for finding the net and the upcoming match away to Bayer Leverkusen.
Peter Pekarík has been lacing up his boots for Hertha BSC since 2012, making the defender the longest-serving player in the capital. Even if there have been times when Hertha’s number 2 has been out of the team, the 34-year-old was always there when he was needed. The defender has proved himself in his role under head coach Bruno Labbadia this season, not only putting in solid defensive work but also showing that he has found some new scoring boots. Pekarík has scored twice already this season – that’s as many goals as he had netted in the previous eight years combined! “I’m just doing my job and trying to do my best. I feel a great responsibility for the team and for the fans,” says Hertha’s Mr. Reliable. Pekarík also takes on responsibility on the international stage, with the defender getting ready to represent Slovakia at the upcoming European Championship. In his interview with herthabsc.de, Pekarík tells us about how he celebrated qualification for the Euros, how he has managed to put together his good run of form and how Bayer Leverkusen can be beaten this weekend.
herthabsc.de: Peka, we’ll start by taking a look back at the last international break. Congratulations! Slovakia will be among the teams competing at the Euros next Summer. What does that mean to you and your country?
Pekarík: The play-off match in Northern Ireland was a really hard game and a great battle for that ticket to the Euros. I will always have happy memories of my 95th Slovakia cap, as qualification is the realisation of another of my dreams. After the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Euro 2016 in France, this is another huge success for our small country. Our fans are proud of us and I am happy that we have made everybody in Slovakia smile during this difficult time.
herthabsc.de: How were the celebrations afterwards?
Pekarík: Immediately after the game there was this huge euphoria in the dressing room, we were all unbelievably happy. It was a really nice journey back from Northern Ireland to Slovakia (laughs). When we arrived we got a lot of congratulations from our fans, as well as from the Slovakian president Zuzana Čaputová and lots of other famous people.
Pekarik: I’m just doing my job and trying to do my best. I feel a great responsibility for the team and for the fans. That’s why professionalism is really important to me. I really mean that – it’s not enough to just work hard as an individual and as a team player, I also have to have a healthy lifestyle which drives me forward. My wife Lujza takes care of making my diet healthy and I know that if I keep working on all the little details then I will always be able to enjoy my football. I’m obviously happy with both my goals this season, but it actually could have been more than two. I had big opportunities against Wolfsburg and Dortmund. We are working on attacking situations like that in training – as a defender it is important to read the game so that you can switch on at the right moment to attack.
herthabsc.de: Good performances haven’t delivered many points yet. What has been missing so far?
Pekarík: That’s true, unfortunately. Looking back at the first half against Dortmund, and the games against Bayern, Leipzig and Wolfsburg, we had to pick up more points. We played at a high level but didn’t get any points as a reward. In the end we lacked the concentration, focus and aggression to pick up better results in those matches.
Pekarík: Yeah, that’s a real shame. I had two huge chances in that game. For the first one I received a superb pass from Mattéo Guendouzi, but I was caught in two minds as to whether I should pass or shoot. That meant that I missed the right moment to finish it off. For the second, Plattenhardt put in a great cross from the left but my header was blocked by Guerreiro.
herthabsc.de: Another top team awaits at the weekend as the team travels to face Bayer Leverkusen. How do you aim to beat the ‘Werkself’?
Pekarík: In the games against Bayern and Leipzig, and that first half against Dortmund, we showed that we can put in good performances against strong teams. We have to give it everything on the pitch on Sunday. We have to stand together and show great commitment. We need concentration and aggression in the challenges. Only then will we have a chance of picking up a good result against such a strong opponent.
herthabsc.de: In contrast to the international break, all the players are now back in Berlin. How important is it to have a full week of training together?
Pekarík: It’s really important to have the whole team training together for a match. Then we can work on lots of things throughout the whole week so that we are as prepared as possible for the upcoming opponents.
herthabsc.de: We are all spending a lot of time at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. How do you spend your downtime?
Pekarík: Recently I’ve been travelling a lot with the national team as well as playing for Hertha, so things aren’t all that different for me. I spend most of my time at the training centre and most of my free time with my wife Lujza.
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