Caligiuri: "I put the team first"
Heiko Herrlich sidelined with illness
First Team
02.10.2020, 15:24
FC Augsburg will face VfL Wolfsburg this Sunday (4th October, 15:30 CEST) on Bundesliga matchday 3. Head coach Heiko Herrlich will not be on the sidelines due to illness, whereas Daniel Caligiuri is looking forward to facing his former side.
With two wins from two games to start the season, both FCA sporting director Stefan Reuter and midfielder Daniel Caligiuri are in good spirits ahead of Sunday’s match against Wolfsburg. “The majority of the players are able to feature on Sunday and are in good shape. Our goal is to take something from Wolfsburg,” said Reuter.
FC Augsburg have enjoyed a record-setting start to the season so far, with the club winning both games to start the season and spending a night at the top of the table as a result. However, the team will have to make sure they are not over-confident ahead of the game. “We need to take it game by game and play as a team each time, while always giving it our all,” said Caligiuri. Reuter underlined this, saying “We’ll take every point that we can get. However, we need to remain realistic.”
Herrlich sidelined with pneumothorax
Despite the transfer window remaining open until 5th October still, Augsburg are not anticipating making any further changes to the squad. “We’re happy with our squad and completed our signings early on in the window. If an interesting offer is made, then it could be the case that we announce another loan or signing. Currently, we’re not expecting to make any more deals,” said Reuter.
Sunday’s match will, however, take place without head coach Heiko Herrlich on the touchlines. Herrlich will miss out due to illness. “Heiko has a pneumothorax and will need to receive medical treatment for a few days. I’ve been in touch with him, and it’s not too dramatic, but we are taking it seriously. We’re prepared for the match against Wolfsburg and Heiko has full confidence in his assistants,” said Reuter. “We are wishing Heiko all the best for a speedy recovery, so that he can return to the team as soon as possible.”
Caligiuri: “The anticipation is high”
FCA will be facing a tough opponent in the form of Wolfsburg this weekend. Daniel Caligiuri is well-aware of the quality of the Wolfsburg attack, having spent three and a half years with the Wolves himself. He is looking forward to facing his former side, saying “The excitement of facing your former club is always great, and I still have some old friends there. But, of course I’m hoping that we will be able to take something from the game.” At the same time, he knows to not underestimate the Wolves, adding “Wolfsburg are a team who like to press hard. We will need to stay calm in possession, take our chances and focus on our strengths.”
Caligiuri was the architect of last weekend’s 2-0 victory against Dortmund, picking up an assist and a goal. His performance saw his receive the Man of the Match award. However, the attacker is not letting that success go to his head, saying “I’m someone who puts the team first. All 15, 16 of our players who featured are deserving of that praise.” Nearly 6,000 fans in attendance were on hand to cheer on FCA, for the first time in over half a year. “It felt like playing in front of a sold-out crowd,” he raved.
