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'No opponent should be underestimated'

A series of knee injuries, resulting in several operations, have kept Ioannis Amanatidis sidelined for much of the past two years. Now Eintracht Frankfurt's Greek international striker is top-fit again and looking to get back to his scoring ways of old.

Down and out no longer: Ioannis Amanatidis is fit to go goal-hunting for Eintracht Frankfurt again after two injury-plagued years

He started well, putting Eintracht in front in their eventual 4-0 DFB Cup victory at SV Wilhelmshaven. His first competitive goal in eleven months was "very satisfying”, as he told bundesliga.de in interview.

bundesliga.de: Ioannis Amanatidis, how is your right knee?

Ioannis Amanatidis: The knee feels fine and it's taking the strain well again.

bundesliga.de: With the odd exception you've been injured for the best part of two years. Are you already back to your form of old?

Amanatidis: I'm very happy to be well on the way there. I'm maybe still a bit short of speed. But it's going pretty well again already.

bundesliga.de: You scored your first competitive goal in almost a year in the cup at Wilhelmshaven. How did that feel?

Amanatidis: Obviously it was very satisfying to score again after such a long stretch of time. But I've said all along that once I'm fit I'll be doing my bit and scoring goals. And the team will reap the benefits of that as well.

bundesliga.de: You played alongside Halil Altintop up front. Did the Eintracht fans get a sneak preview there of the team's new forward line?

Amanatidis: It worked pretty well. We managed to link up as the game went on. But there are a few tight calls to be made yet and at the end of the day the coach will decide who plays.

bundesliga.de: What lessons did you take from the DFB Cup game for the league opener at Hannover 96?

Amanatidis: No opponent should be underestimated and we have to focus on implementing our own strategy. Playing at 90 percent proved to be enough against a Regional League side.

bundesliga.de: It presumably wouldn't be enough against Hannover. What do you need to improve further on before that match?

Amanatidis: 90 percent is never enough in the Bundesliga. If you slacken off there, you come to a sticky end. But getting that final few percent is a question of attitude. That's what we have to work on.

(www.bundesliga.de)

Thursday, 19.08.2010, 18:21