Marco Richter: "I was more nervous playing Bundesliga Home Challenge than playing against Borussia Dortmund"
Augsburg's Marco Richter is unbeaten in the Bundesliga Home Challenge through two weekends of FIFA action despite going into the makeshift invitational tournament with low expectations.
Richter, 22, is one of 60 Bundesliga players, eSports professionals and even referees who have become involved in the DFL's Bundesliga Home Challenge tournament played on FIFA 20.
The tournament - pitting Bundesliga teams against each other on FIFA in two solo matches - is heading into its third weekend of action and Richter has been one of the tournament's most impressive players representing unbeaten Augsburg.
"I try - like on the pitch in the stadium - to give everything on the PlayStation," Richter told Kicker. "It's cool to score a goal with myself in the Bundesliga Home Challenge."
That's something Richter was able to do in his 3-2 win over Hamburg's Sonny Kittel last weekend, after he had drawn 1-1 against Hannover defender Jannes Horn in his first outing in the tournament.
Before that opening game, though, Richter was feeling the heat of the action - something he isn't used to experiencing when out on the football pitch.
"I was so nervous," Richter told bundesliga.com. "It had been so long since I'd played FIFA. I've played in front of 80,000 at the Signal Iduna Park but I was more worried about this. I just didn't want to lose 9-0."
Watch: Richter's 22-second goal against Bayern!
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And although Richter is satisfied with his performance in the Bundesliga Home Challenge, he still has things he wants to improve on with the extra time he - alongside other Bundesliga professionals - has on his side in isolation.
"With my current FIFA ratings, there's still room for improvement," Richter told Kicker. "Maybe that will change for the coming season."
Two of Richter's four Bundesliga goals so far in 2019/20 have come against Bayern Munich - one of the fastest goals of the season at 22 seconds - and Borussia Dortmund. So there's no doubt that, although the Bundesliga Home Challenge is providing great respite from missing real football, Richter - like many others - is looking forward to getting back on the pitch.
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