Uchida grateful after derby win
Gelsenkirchen - The Revierderby was bound to make one Japanese player happy, with Atsuto Uchida lining up on one side against compatriot Shinji Kagawa. It was the FC Schalke 04 defender who emerged victorious on Saturday after the Royal Blues beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to condemn their fierce rivals to a third league defeat in six matches.
bundesliga.com caught up with the Royal Blues' full-back to gather his views on the crunch clash at the Veltins Arena.
bundesliga.com:Atsuto Uchida, tell us how important the Revierderby is...
Atsuto Uchida: It's a really special game, unlike any other. Winning in the derby is very important for the club, and even more so as both sides haven't been doing well recently. It's really rare to score against Dortmund from a set-piece, and to do so twice is even more impressive. They're a very strong side and to defend against them is extremely difficult, but we did well to only concede one goal. Personally, I tried to play a little further up the pitch today to help our attack.
bundesliga.com: There has also been plenty of praise for coach Jens Keller. What do you make of the job he has done?
Uchida: It's incredible. Despite all the adversity, he's fought his way through it. I was injured for a long time and by not being available, I was a real burden on the team and the coach. That's why I'm desperate to work hard for the team and the coach and do my job well. These three points are my way of saying thank you - this is the way I always want to show my gratitude.
bundesliga.com: And you also managed to get one over your good friend Shinji Kagawa...
Uchida: Kagawa had a good game and the players and fans know how good he is. It was hard to play against him. It's good when we both play well, even if Kagawa plays for Dortmund. We had a chat after the game, but it was nothing special.
bundesliga.com: What do you make of Kagawa's return to the Bundesliga?
Uchida: We used to play together when we were younger, but I don't think it would go down well if I spent all of my time with him now that he plays for Dortmund. I looked after him and I always thought of him when he was in Manchester. Now we both want to play well in the Bundesliga, even if Kagawa plays for Dortmund.
bundesliga.com: Next up is NK Maribor in the UEFA Champions League. Do you think you will be playing in that match?
Uchida: Of course I would like to play on Tuesday, but of course it's the coach who decides. As always, though, I just prepare myself as well as possible to be ready for the match.
bundesliga.com: What kind of game do you expect against Maribor?
Uchida: We're at home this time after playing a good game away at Chelsea FC. We got a draw there and that was a great point, but now we want to do even better.
