INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK: NICK BÄTZNER

Nick Bätzner only had his first starting spot of the season against Seraing, but he was good for one goal and two assists. Time for a chat with the talented German.

Do you have an explanation for why you didn't get to kick off until the first time?
I missed two weeks of preparation by having a metal plate in my ankle removed. That was a remnant of my ankle fracture last year. Two weeks does not seem long, but in a preparation of six weeks they are important. We didn't play many practice matches, so I lacked match rhythm. The coach wanted to bring me in calmly, instead of throwing me to the wolves straight away.

It was finally through the injury of Indy Boonen that you joined the team.
"Indy had done well and it is very unfortunate for him and for the club that he is now out for a long time. For my part, I just tried to do what the coach wants me to do against Seraing. With one goal and two assists, I did quite well. Now it's up to me to continue working on those stats."

Starting tomorrow against Standard?
"Winning again would be nice but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Standard have a lot of qualities and they play in front of a full house. I've heard the supporters make a lot of noise. I have good memories of them, as I scored my first league goal against them last season. Well, we shouldn't put too much pressure on ourselves. Get away from the relegation spots as soon as possible and look at it match by match."

That's how you seem to play football, without pressure.
"That's the way it is. Actually I just want to have fun, like I would play with my friends in a square. If you think too much, it also goes wrong. I try to play football mainly from my instinct."

And by the looks of it, it's working out pretty well. Good luck Nick!
"Danke schön!"