He has only been with the Royal Blues for a few days but it already seems like he has been a Schalke player for years. Settling in to his new surroundings hasn’t been too much of a challenge for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. The new signing from 1. FSV Mainz 05 spoke to schlake04.de about his World Cup experience, his new club and being reunited with old teammates.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, did your shortened holiday give you enough time to rest up before starting with your new club?
It’s difficult to say. It would’ve been nice to have had a couple more weeks. The other players had seven weeks off I think. But I’m really happy to be at Schalke, so it’s okay that my holiday didn’t last that long. I also took part in the World Cup, and that was a great too.
How would you sum up the World Cup on a personal level?
It obviously didn’t go too well for us as a team. We didn’t showcase ourselves as we had hoped we would. Nevertheless, I featured in all three matches, which was good for me. The tournament was a very important experience for me and I’ll gladly take that experience on board. It was really special to pit yourself against some of the best players in the world.
How did you spend your time after the World Cup?
I tried to switch off completely and spent time with my family in Greece. It was lovely and we had fantastic weather every day. Of course, I completed to move to Schalke during that time, but otherwise I put football to one side somewhat and occupied myself with other things.
What is it about S04 that made you decide to move here?
Schalke are one of the best teams in Germany and a very big club steeped in tradition. It is a massive honour that the club showed such big interest in me. The club’s senior personnel were very anxious for me to join. I had a good feeling when making the decision. Now I’m at a special club and I’m looking forward to the season ahead.
What are you looking forward to the most?
I’m happy about carrying on playing in Germany. The Bundesliga is one of the strongest leagues in Europe. I want to play at the highest level and I can do that here – not only in the Bundesliga but also internationally. I’ll now be able to compete in the Champions League, which is a privilege for every footballer. We will compete against the best teams in Europe, and that is something I’m very much looking forward to.
How’s the flat-hunt going?
We haven’t found a flat yet; we’re still looking. Hopefully I’ll be able to secure something after the training camp.
You will be reunited with a few old friends at the Royal Blues…
That’s right. It is a reunion of sorts. I played with Sidney Sam for a long time in Hamburger SV’s youth team, and I also know Dennis Aogo from my time at Hamburg. I was at Mainz 05 with Jan Kirchhoff and Joel Matip is also in the Cameroon national team. Seeing the boys again was something I really looked forward to doing.
In which position can you help Schalke out the most?
I don’t really have a preferred position. I tended to play on the left flank at Mainz and I felt very comfortable there. But I don’t mind playing up front. That’s a position I often played at 1. FC Nürnberg. It doesn’t really matter where the manager puts me in attack. You always need a certain amount of time to feel completely comfortable in a position, but I think that I’m quite flexible.
What are your aims at Schalke?
Obviously I want to win a title at some point, that’s a given. Schalke are a club that share those ambitions and rightly so. We want to be in and around the top of the table this season, but talk of winning the title now would be a little excessive. But I’m not saying I’m opposed winning the title (laughs).
