‘He always runs the most of all players, also the most intensive’

Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 23:55• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 00:03

Roger Schmidt is satisfied with the field game that PSV put on the mat against Real Sociedad (2-2). The Eindhoven team played for the win in the first group match of the Europa League, but did not succeed. Schmidt praised Mario Götze afterwards, who gave a great assist to Cody Gakpo and made a tireless impression.

“He still surprises me with how fit he is,” Schmidt told ESPN. “He always runs a lot, always the most of all the players, and also the most intensively. He is able to work hard for the team until the last second. That is part of his qualities. Not only on the ball , but he also works very hard. I’ve said that before. I’m not surprised, but I appreciate him very much.”

Schmidt is regularly asked about his substitution policy and is asked by Milan van Dongen whether he is uneasy about it. “No, no, I don’t get tired of it”, the German laughs. “I like to talk about it. Do you want to know something?” Despite the fact that Schmidt again changed four core players after more than an hour of play, Van Dongen does not ask any further questions about this.

Schmidt was not happy with the result. “We are not satisfied because we wanted to win, but we are satisfied with how we played. We did what we could. That’s football, you have to accept the result. I think we created good chances. It’s not easy when the defending the opponent with ten men around the penalty area. We also did it in a smart way. It was not only hard or willpower, but also with good football. That’s why I was happy with that.”

Gotze .’s response
Götze acknowledges in conversation with ESPN that at a ‘certain moment’ PSV ‘played more with the heart than with the head’. “We want to win, give everything and score that third goal. Maybe it’s better to play with the head than with the heart, but in the end it’s always a combination,” he explains. Before the 2-2, Götze “played with the head,” he says with a laugh. “Cody finished very well. He made a good run in the penalty area and he is a very good player, with a lot of potential. It was a nice goal.” In Götze’s eyes, PSV should have gotten more out of the game. “We played well, but in the end we can’t be happy with a draw in the first home game.”