As Eljero Elia comes to his interview session in the press room at Gloria Serenity Resort and sits down on the chair, the winger seems very serious. The tiredness from the intensive training sessions cannot be a reason for his lack of a...
As Eljero Elia comes to his interview session in the press room at Gloria Serenity Resort and sits down on the chair, the winger seems very serious. The tiredness from the intensive training sessions cannot be a reason for his lack of a...
As Eljero Elia comes to his interview session in the press room at Gloria Serenity Resort and sits down on the chair, the winger seems very serious. The tiredness from the intensive training sessions cannot be a reason for his lack of a smile. But "Elli" was not satisfied with his own first half of the season. "Of course I am not satisfied," said the Dutchman, who started all 17 matches for the Green-Whites. "I did not play an important role for my team. I did work a lot defensively but I also have to be more dangerous up front," added the 26-year-old.
"Even as a youngster I had a lot of fun scoring goals. But when I look at my statistics and see zero goals and only two or three assists, then that is shitty," said Elia. But he will not just stick his head in the sand. In fact, he is thinking just the opposite - improvement. "Many people think the problem is that I did not play for one year. But I don't see it that way. I expect a lot from myself because I know what I can do. In this kind of situation, you have to look at what you do in your free time to change that." Elia therefore began Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Holland - of course after discussing it with Werder Bremen.
Elia says he can understand that the Werder fans are not satisfied with his performances this season. "I always try to give my best and work hard to fulfill these demands. I would like to do that better in the second half. But 100 percent is not enough. I have to give 1000 percent. I am hungry. I always want to have success and that starts with hard work," said Elia.
Head coach Thomas Schaaf confirmed Elia's good performance in the first match of the year. "He was very effective, very active, set up things well and was really in the game," said the coach, who believes Elia had a better match than observers think. "Elli stands for a certain quality. And he also showed a lot of that in the first half." Still, Schaaf wouldn't have anything against an improvement in the second half of the season. "Of course we would be happy if he picked up his game even more. And I think that is possible."
