Maximilian Eggestein: Playing the Final in a Wonderful City
Freiburg's Maximilian Eggestein spoke to the press ahead of the UEFA Europa League final against Aston Villa in Istanbul.
The UEFA Europa League final will see German side Freiburg face English team Aston Villa at Besiktas Park in Istanbul tomorrow at 22:00. Prior to the match, Freiburg midfielder Maximilian Eggestein addressed the press.
Eggestein shared that he had watched Aston Villa's recent Premier League match against Liverpool, noting, "It was a very interesting game. Aston Villa plays very smart football. It’s a team with a long shared playing experience and they have individual quality players. We know what to expect tomorrow. We’ve analyzed the team and prepared ourselves. We saw many Freiburg fans on the way from the hotel to here. The city is lively and beautiful. It’s a wonderful city to play the final in."
Eggestein recalled that the club had narrowly missed its first cup in its history a few years ago but lost in the final. "If we win tomorrow, it will be the first cup for the team and the club. It will also be the first cup for many players on the team. There aren't many opportunities in a career to win so many cups," he said.
Highlighting the skills of Freiburg's Italian player Vincenzo Grifo, Eggestein noted, "He is very good at taking free kicks. Some of our other teammates are also very good at this. As a team, we have a high chance of turning such opportunities into goals. We have benefited greatly from this during the season. We hope to do the same tomorrow."
Eggestein also commented on Aston Villa's technical director Unai Emery, who has won the Europa League four times in his career. "We know that Coach Emery is the most successful manager in this tournament. He has won this cup several times before," Eggestein said.
The German player also expressed his thoughts on the atmosphere in the final match, saying, "It will be different from Bundesliga matches. I’m not just talking about the noise level. Both sets of fans know how to cheer loudly when needed. Our fans are good at this."
This final in Istanbul is going to be electric! Can Freiburg pull off the upset, or will Emery's experience prove too much? Let’s see if they can make history and lift that trophy!