“I’m just a normal guy, doing what I love”

Ivan Šunjić was held up for a few minutes after training on Monday, waiting for Sandro Schwarz to answer the media’s questions before he was scheduled to take the microphone for himself. The Croatian used his time well though, signing a few autographs for Hertha fans. A couple of metres away, his new head coach spoke about his expectations of our new number 34: “Ivan should be able to bring his running ability, aggression and combative defending in one-on-one situations into our team. He’s shown what he can do in the training sessions already, and now it’s our job to refine those talents to fit our tactical game-plan,” said Schwarz.

Bundesliga the next step for Šunjic

Making use of his strengths for the team and working in a new structure are two things that Šunjić has made top priorities on his agenda. “I’m coming from a very competitive league, where fitness and physicality are key. The Bundesliga is now the next step which I’m looking forward to,” explained the 25-year-old. One of the keys to Šunjić getting settled in at Hertha is fellow summer signing Filip Uremović, a familiar face to our new midfielder: “It’s always good to have one or two people you know at a new club – that helps you get used to things a lot. Filip has really helped me so far and I feel right at home. We both know what each of us can bring to the pitch, which is good for us and good for the team,” the midfielder said, describing the support his compatriot and Croatia U21 teammate has given him so far.