First Team

“Develop every day”

An interview with VfL midfielder Mattias Svanberg ahead of the away game at Gladbach.

Mattias Svanberg has now been with the Wolves for nine months, having joined last summer after four years at Bologna. Despite big competition for places in midfield, the 24-year-old Swede didn’t need much time to establish himself as a first-team regular with his battling qualities, composure on the ball and team mentality. In this interview, the midfielder talks about his life in Wolfsburg, his role models and the upcoming match in Mönchengladbach.
 
Mattias Svanberg, how settled do you feel after around nine months in Wolfsburg? The time in the hotel is over, right?

Mattias Svanberg: “Yes, everything’s fine at the moment. We’ve found a house now, my girlfriend is with me. We’re starting to feel more and more at home. It’s a really nice living situation, much better than in a hotel.”
 
How pleased are you with your development on the pitch at VfL?
 
Mattias: “Very pleased. I feel very good at the club. There are a lot of good people here – whether it’s teammates, staff members or other employees. What’s more, I can develop every day here, which is a good feeling.”

There’s stiff competition for the two places in central midfield for the Wolves, with the likes of Yannick Gerhardt and Felix Nmecha. Does that situation push you even more?
 
Mattias: “I think that competition for places is very good, especially for the team of course. We have several players who can be deployed there – and as a player you always want to play – so you have to always give your best in every training session and every game. Ultimately that’s not just perfect for the team but also for myself. It keeps me focused and ambitious, and that’s exactly what’s needed. So it couldn’t be better.”
 
Do you have any role models?

Mattias: “Yes, as a youngster I worshipped Zlatan Ibrahimovic because he was the biggest and best player in Sweden, and also comes from the same city as me, Malmö. So he was obviously my role model. It’s really great that I had a player as an idol for 15 years and then got the opportunity to play alongside him.”
 
Did you set yourself personal targets for the season? 
 
Mattias: “Not really personal targets. I just want to play as much as possible this season, register goals and assists, and help the team to win by doing so.” 
 
Now you head to Borussia Mönchengladbach. How do you assess them as a team?
 
Mattias: “We know they’re a very strong side. Gladbach play good football and have high-quality players at their disposal. It will certainly be a difficult game, especially since we’re in a crucial period of the season and we all know how important a good result is. And after the last game, where we played well but just didn’t take full advantage of our chances, we’re determined to win now.”