Bundesliga: I chose the fight – Dominik Szoboszlai

– Did you sleep well after your winning goal on Sunday?
– It is very difficult for me to fall asleep after matches, especially if I'm a starter – 21-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who scored the winning goal on Sunday in the league in Leverkusen's home, told Nemzeti Sport ahead of Wednesday's German Cup semifinal against Union Berlin. – Of course, I was happy for the three points, it was good for my soul that I helped the team with a goal, and I took another step on the path I want to continue.

– Prior to Sunday's league game against Hoffenheim, you had a goal and an assist, meaning that you showed a pretty convincing performance in the competition.
– At Leipzig, we have to fight every minute, especially in the midfield. We have a big squad; there are several players of the same ability in each position that head coach Domenico Tedesco can choose from, but the midfield is perhaps the fullest. Everyone is fighting for his place, and I fight every day to get an opportunity. When that moment comes, I want to take the chance. Lately, this has mostly been successful, but as I said, these are just steps on the long way.

– In your first full Bundesliga season, how difficult was it to fit into a team where they changed coaches during the season and are in a fight you've never seen before to make the team?
– That's football, we can never sit back. There have always been ups and downs before, and they will continue to be. The question is whether you will continue to struggle in difficult moments or give up. I chose the fight; I didn't want to let anything get me off the road. I tried to rule out all external factors, I only paid attention to myself, and I didn't care about anything but football. This recipe has worked in the past as well.

– Did you talk to Domenico Tedesco about your situation?
– We talked a few times, but it's not public. In the end, like all footballers, I had to accept that I'm not the number one player in my position for the head coach. However, as I have said before, I didn't give up, I was not picking holes in others, I was just thinking about how I can change his mind. It is still difficult to say that everything is on track – after all, we have had two league games in recent times where pretty much everything went according to plan, but with my performance in the last few weeks, I have managed to somewhat get over the difficult period. I hope I can keep up with the pace or play even better.

– From a different point of view, it hardly comes to your disadvantage that at the age of 21, you already experienced what it is like to fight for a place in the starting eleven in one of Europe's top teams. These experiences can help you a lot later.
– That's true. The sooner the footballer learns to deal with such situations, the better. I set goals for myself, and if someone has the same desires I have, they should not give them up at all. As I move forward in my career, so do the obstacles and steps. If the direction is right, they will become more and more difficult. But if I want to reach them, I have to face them, I must not sit back.

– Did you think in the fall that in your first full Bundesliga season you could be on the podium and also reach the German Cup and Europa League finals?
– A lot has changed since the fall season, and I don't want to dwell on the past anymore. However, it would be unusual if we achieved our goal in every series. There is no priority, we have to do the same in all three series, and we want to make the most of the season.

– What kind of game do you expect from Union Berlin on Wednesday?
– If Mr. Schaefer plays, they will surely defend... Joking aside, we analyzed Union's game and looked back at the most important scenes from its matches, but obviously, a lot depends on what tactics the opponent chooses. Anything can happen in 90 minutes, but our goal is to reach the final, and whoever comes on the pitch will also drive out his soul to succeed.

– What would the Europa League final mean?
– It would be a milestone for me and the club, after all, it is unusual for Leipzig to reach the semifinals of a European Cup series. If we were to succeed against Rangers, we would have the opportunity to do something really great, but I don't want to think ahead that much. We can say that in the two cup series everything was good: in the German Cup we avoided Bayern Munich and Dortmund, but at this level, there is no easy opponent. In the Europa League, we said goodbye to Real Sociedad and Atalanta, neither team that could be dealt with just a hand gesture. In both series, we reached the final four because we deserved it, but while we are here, of course, we do not want to stop.

– What is the secret of Leipzig's spring performance? Despite Domenico Tedesco taking over the team on the fly, they are already changing formations and line-ups from match to match without any problems. From the outside, everything seems to be on the rise.
– We're happy to hear that it's seen like that from the outside. It may become commonplace, but one way or another, we'll win the matches, but at the same, time there are many components of success that only those who are strained for results every day know. Every day we do videos, we analyze, everyone gives 100 percent in training, and we pay attention to every little detail. The credit goes to the manager for putting the team together very well. There can be no complaints about the results, and in addition to the coach, we also have a role to play. If one of the parties believed in working together only, we wouldn't be here right now.

– By reaching the German Cup and Europa League finals, could you have the best season of your career behind you?
– I don't want to rush so far ahead. Let's get through the two semifinals first, let's finish the season, and then we'll go back to that question.

GERMAN CUP
SEMIFINALS
8.45pm:RB Leipzig–Union Berlin (TV:Sport2)– live on NSO!

PLAYED ON TUESDAY
Hamburg–Freiburg 1–3(Glatzel 88., and Petersen 11., Höfler 17., Grifo 34. – penalty)