“Take this team spirit and build on it”
Lucas Tousart left the training pitch with a huge smile on his face, which proves how the recent away win at Bochum has done him and his teammates a world of good and given them a hunger for more. The Frenchman confirmed that the team has benefitted from some concentrated and targeted training sessions this week. “We’ve worked hard in all training sessions this week and we hope that our fans will be able to see that against Fürth,” commented the 24-year-old. “We want to continue our good form and go into the match in good spirits!” Tousart had previously spoken to herthabsc.com about how he helps new players integrate into the team, his experience at the Olympic Games and the upcoming fixture against SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
herthabsc.com: Lucas, the first points of the season finally came against VfL Bochum! Can you tell us how you felt after the game?
Tousart: We were thrilled with the win, because we’d had a tough start to the season. But we’ve now got some points on the board and are feeling better and more confident going into the home game against Fürth. We want to and we need to secure the victory, because this will allow us to further make up for our poor start to the season and keep us feeling positive for the upcoming matches!
herthabsc.com: Speaking of feeling positive: Pál was satisfied with this week’s training sessions, how did you find the preparations for the game on Friday night?
Tousart: We’ve worked hard and done some intense training session. There were some areas of our performance in the last game that weren’t so good, so we worked on them this week, and we hope that our fans can see the work we have been putting in against Fürth on Friday evening. We want to continue our good form and go into the match with good spirits!
herthabsc.com: You’ve got some new teammates in the last few weeks. Ishak Belfodil and Myziane Maolida both speak French, how do you get on with these guys?
Tousart: I’m glad to have some French-speaking colleagues around, it’s very pleasant! Ishak’s also spent a few years playing in Germany so he knows how it works here and even speaks better German than me, which he never lets me forget. (laughs)
herthabsc.com: You’ll be helping out Myziane, though, from a language perspective, he’s already said how important you’ve been to help him settle in here...
Tousart: ... I know what it’s like to be in his position; that was me just a few years ago – it’s not easy when you join a new team in a new country and you don’t know the language very well. It really helps to begin with when there are other guys there who speak the same language as you and can answer any questions you may have quickly and easily. We like to do that, and Myziane will integrate into the team more and more. I hope we continue to grow in this way as a team!
herthabsc.com: Let’s look back now at a special experience of yours, as you recently represented France and the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Your team did not do so well in the tournament, but what did you take away from it?
Tousart: The Olympics were a remarkable experience. It was difficult to get used to playing with a whole new team, because many clubs didn’t allow their players to participate, so our squad was a little bit depleted and we unfortunately did not get the results we set out to achieve, but I did take away some amazing memories. For starters, to stay in the Olympic Village accommodation with so many athletes from different sports was incredible, and now I can say for the rest of my life that I took part in an Olympics, which is just so cool. I’m so thankful to have been allowed the chance to participate!
[>]I took away some amazing memories from the Olympic Games. To stay in the Olympic Village accommodation with so many athletes from different sports was incredible. I’m so thankful to have been allowed the chance to participate![<]
herthabsc.com: It’s now your second season here at Hertha, and you’ve even gone and got yourself a potential nickname! Pál Dárdai’s called you “the lion” during the latter half of the season, do you like the nickname?
Tousart: (laughs out loud) The lion? I like it, it’s certainly very flattering! I always give it my all for the team on the pitch, and the nickname obviously pays homage to that- the coach has made a good choice.
herthabsc.com: To finish, let’s talk about the upcoming game. You’ll be facing another recently-promoted side at the Olympiastadion on Friday in Fürth who are hungry to pick up some points. How are you going to overcome this?
Tousart: As the home team, we need to control the game, be disciplined tactically and then implement our game plan just as well as we did against Bochum. We’ll need longer periods of possession against Fürth, and we need to play it out better than in our last match. If we do all this during the game, I’m confident we will get the win!