Interview with Prass

“Leaving Graz was not easy for me”

Alexander Prass (left) has already been able to get his first minutes for his new club Hoffenheim.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Alexander Prass won the double with Sturm Graz, was able to show off at the European Championships and is now looking for a new challenge in Hoffenheim. In an interview with "Sportkrone.at", the ÖFB team player spoke about his emotional farewell from Graz and his experiences in the national team. 

"Kronesport": You left double winners Sturm Graz in the summer. What was it like to leave Graz and what emotions did you feel?
Alexander Prass: Of course it was very emotional. Because I had a wonderful and above all successful time in Graz. That's why it certainly wasn't easy for me to say goodbye. But I simply wanted to take the next step in my career and for this reason I made a conscious decision to move to TSG Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga. In the end, it was good for me that the move to TSG happened quite quickly because it meant I didn't have to think so much about my departure and my great time in Graz.

How were you received in Hoffenheim?
I was really well received by the team and everyone else at the club from day one. This warm and positive welcome from all the lads in Hoffenheim naturally made my start at TSG a lot easier and also made a lot of other things easier in general.

What expectations do you have for the new season?
We have a good team that can certainly achieve a lot together. But to do so, we have to pursue our goals consistently and with focus. Only if we manage to do that will we have a successful season.

Florian Grillitsch, a fellow ÖFB player, also plays for Hoffenheim. How much did he help you settle in at the club? 
Flo took me by the hand a bit, especially in the first few days, and showed and explained a lot to me. But he wasn't the only one. There really were a lot of guys from the team who actively offered their help straight away. That really impressed me and shows once again how well I was received in Hoffenheim.

How have you settled in at home in Sinsheim?
We'll have settled in properly at home when we move into our apartment soon - we're still living in a hotel at the moment. But I already feel like I've settled in well here in the region.

There was a lot of light at the European Championships and then the bitter end against Turkey. How would you sum up your personal experience?
For me personally, the European Championship was of course a cool experience because I didn't really expect to get so much playing time at this tournament. But we also went a good way as a team, played a great tournament from my point of view and were ultimately eliminated in a very bitter way. On the whole, however, as Austrians we can certainly look back on this European Championship with pride.