“That’s what motivates me!”

Berlin - Krzysztof Piątek didn’t have to look twice before letting loose a killer shot that sailed into the back of the net, causing team manager Nello di Martino to loudly cheer on ‘Il Pistolero,’ as Piątek has been known since his time in Italy. The Poland international high-fived his teammates and the Hertha icon, before returning his focus to training, this time with a smile on his face. Anyone who would have witnessed this scene during training the week after Hertha’s derby victory against Union would see that Piątek feels right at home within the team. “It’s fun to play with these boys,” said Hertha’s No. 9, who does not want to dwell too long on last weekend’s 3-1 win against the other team in Berlin. After all, the Herthaner won’t have to wait long for their next challenge, as they get set to face Gladbach on Saturday (12/12/20, 15:30 CET). “We are fully focused on our upcoming game in Mönchengladbach,” said the 25-year-old. “I’m confident that we will be able to, at the very least, get a result or even win!” Ahead of Saturday’s game, the striker spoke about the final push to end the year, his role within the team and his Christmas plans.

herthabsc.de: Krzysztof, watching you guys train, it’s obvious that in addition to being focused on your work, that there’s a good atmosphere within the team. After such an important win last weekend, you probably had a lot of fun celebrating together...

Piątek: Yes, we had a good time after the game in the dressing room with everyone, and the mood was definitely high after the win (grins). It’s fun to play with these guys!

herthabsc.de: We’ll start by taking a look back at the derby, where you had a big impact on the game by scoring a brace. What’s your verdict on the game, now that you’ve had some time to process it?

Piątek: The derby is the most important game of the season. That’s why it was really important that we win. I’m happy that I was able to help the team out by scoring. I knew that we would have our chances thanks to being a man up, and that I would have to be ready when those opportunities came.

herthabsc.de: You’re no stranger to derbies, having played in several over the course of your career. How helpful is that to you as a player, especially with the unusual situation we currently find ourselves in?

Piątek: That’s true, I played in two Krakow derbies, and also played against Sampdoria with Genoa, as well as in the Milan Derby. That’s how I knew that games like this are always something special for the city, the fans and for the club. As a professional, however, it’s also important to not get too caught up in it, and to instead remain focused and to do your job to the best of your abilities. I think that we were able to do that against Union. However, we need more points, so the derby win was also a step in the right direction for us in that regard. We need to continue working hard as a team.

herthabsc.de: Hard work is an attribute that also fits well to you personally. After coming off the bench in Augsburg and scoring, and then returning to the starting XI the next game, you once again made an impact after coming on last time out. Where do you see yourself currently?

Piątek: It’s not always easy when you’re constantly switching between starting and being on the bench. But, I’m working hard and always try to give my best in order to help out the team. The key is to stay positive and to never get too down on yourself! Of course I would rather be starting every game, and want to prove that I’m the Number 1 striker at the club. That’s what motivates me! 

herthabsc.de: Jhon Córdoba returned to training for the first time on Wednesday (09/12/20). The two of you are both strikers, but you get along well and he was one of the first to congratulate you on your brace on Instagram.

Piątek: Jhon is a good friend of mine in the team, we talk a lot. He’s a good guy. I hope that we’ll be able to play together sometime soon. He’s got his own talents, the same way that I do, and we both do everything we can to help out the team.

herthabsc.de: Let’s now look ahead to what remains of the 2020 sporting calendar. The game away in Mönchengladbach marks the start of a busy week in which Hertha will also face Mainz and Freiburg. What do you expect from these games?

Piątek: I hope that we can pick up as many points as possible before Christmas, but we have to just take it one step at a time. Our full focus is on the upcoming game in Mönchengladbach. I am totally convinced that we can get a result there, and perhaps even a win! We have already had our moments against the top teams when we played Bayern, Leipzig and Dortmund – that is the standard that we have to keep to be able to achieve a good result. The club is going through a transition, we are working on new ways of playing and we want to improve. That takes time, but the fluidity is already looking better at times. We are heading in the right direction.

herthabsc.de: The team will have to do without Matheus Cunha for this weekend’s game after he was suspended for picking up five yellow cards this season. How can you compensate for his absence?

Piątek: We will obviously miss Matheus. He is in great form and gives a lot to the team over the 90 minutes. But we have other players who can create dangerous situations and who have lots of potential. We have to use that and play as a unit. If we do that then we can cope with such absences and will be harder to figure out as a team.

herthabsc.de: One last question. After these three Bundesliga fixtures, Christmas is right around the corner. How will you spend the short winter break?

Piątek: The club has asked us to stay in Berlin over Christmas, so I’m hoping that our family can come here to us. Then we will prepare a lovely dinner, switch off and just enjoy our time together.