FC St. Pauli

Fabian Hürzeler on…

...the personnel: "Manolis Saliakas is back from suspension and Scott Banks is an option again. He's taken part in every training session and so we may well take him with us depending on the options. Etienne Amenyido, in contrast, has an Achilles tendon problem and is ruled out. Maurides will miss out as well. He was hit on the head by a ball from close range in training yesterday and suffered a concussion. Elias Saad was ill, but I expect him to be back in time. Long-term absentees Sören Ahlers, Philipp Treu and Simon Zoller are out."

...the mood in the camp and the goal of winning the league: "The players internalised that goal from the first day of pre-season. They set the target themselves and are going for it. It's a fact that some of the tension has gone. You see that with individual players and in the group, but they've looked very focused, especially yesterday. The players are having a lot of fun in training but they're very motivated as well. They know they can go one further by winning the league and I'm convinced they'll show that on Sunday."

...the significance of the final game and financial incentives of winning the league: "I demand of my team that they take the final step because it's a question of character to a certain extent. It's about how ready you are to suffer one more time as a team to be able to present the shield to the fans. My focus is on the day of the game and hopefully I'll find the right words to instil the right attitude in the players. We know the financial aspect is an important side fact for the club and every cent is welcome, but it's not our main incentive. We aren't playing for the money. We're playing mainly to wow the city and the fans who support us all the time. More than 3,300 will accompany us to Wiesbaden. We want to give them something back because they deserve to be able to celebrate this success with us."

...opponents Wehen Wiesbaden: "We're expecting a side who are very man-oriented in their attacking pressing but also like to sit back during a game and operate from a solid rearguard. They repeatedly found good solutions on the ball in their last game (eds: a 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Braunschweig) and gave a very stable performance in the 1-0 defeat against Holstein Kiel as well. Our focus is on preparing the team as best we can. We're approaching the game with the maximum professionalism because we're going to Wiesbaden to win."

...the end-of-season party on Whit Monday: "It's definitely something the players are talking about. The tenor is that the party will be nicest with the shield."

...the sensational signing of Magnus Carlsen, who will play for FC St. Pauli in the chess Bundesliga next season: "I'm delighted for the club, especially for the chess section, who've definitely pulled off a massive coup. It's very special for FC St. Pauli and a great honour to have the best chess player of all time here. I hope I'll have time off when he plays so I can watch live. Maybe he can give me a few tips on how to open a game (he grins)."

Photos: Witters