Angelo Stiller: “Bayern is always something special for me”

Angelo Stiller: “Bayern is always something special for me”

Champions League hopefuls Stuttgart face champions-elect FC Bayern Munich away from home on Sunday. For this week’s special interview section, Angelo Stiller spent some time with Bundesliga to address several topics.

"I think it depends on the day. You never win a game automatically, no matter who you play against,” Stiller talked about the possibility of a big result for Stuttgart. “In Munich, it will be difficult, but we have to play with courage from the first second. Then you also need a bit of luck. If we take our chances and fight for 90 minutes, we can compete."

Stiller admits there is still a special bond with his boyhood club, but he said he doesn’t like to regularly watch football matches in his spare time. "I generally don’t watch much football because we have games or training ourselves. But, when I do, I watch closely to see how they (Bayern) play, and why they are so successful. You try to learn from the best.

"Bayern is always something special for me. I played there for 11 years. My family and friends still live there, so I visit often. It is always nice to play against Bayern or see them succeed in the Champions League."

Stiller also addressed the pressure that followed Stuttgart’s recent defeat to Borussia Dortmund as Sebastian Hoeneß’s side conceded two injury-time goals after failing to capitalize on a dominant performance. "I think you only put pressure on yourself. You want maximum success.

“That is where the competitive mindset comes from. You do not play just to play; you want to win something and achieve something. That is why we play football. Everyone knows that we need to win as many games as possible. It will be difficult, but we have to approach every game like it is the last."

As for achieving their goal of returning to the Champions League, the 25-year-old midfielder demands taking it game by game. Stuttgart’s remaining two home games will be against Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen, while they face Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt away from home in the final three weeks of the season. Stiller thinks it might be advantageous to avoid most of the teams in the relegation zone.

“It is often even harder against teams at the bottom because they are fighting relegation. That can be an advantage. We just have to take it game by game and approach every match as if it were the last. We know it is about the Champions League and we want to get there, so we cannot afford mistakes."