Diego is back and he’s ready to let rip!! After a month of treatment in Brazil, the pint sized Brazilian flew back to Bremen on Wednesday. The midfielder’s break at home was split into two parts.
Diego is back and he’s ready to let rip!! After a month of treatment in Brazil, the pint sized Brazilian flew back to Bremen on Wednesday. The midfielder’s break at home was split into two parts.
Diego is back and he’s ready to let rip!! After a month of treatment in Brazil, the pint sized Brazilian flew back to Bremen on Wednesday. The midfielder’s break at home was split into two parts. From 16.12.2007 until 03.01.2008, Diego had time to relax and enjoy the holiday season with his family but since the beginning of January, the ´’Selecao’ international has been working hard on his comeback. Now he’s back in Bremen and has rejoined his colleagues in training. After completing his first session he took questions from the press which included WERDER.DE and WERDER.TV.
Diego, you have certainly left sunnier days behind you than await you here in Bremen – are you still looking forward to getting stuck in again?
Of course we had some very good weather and I’ve heard that the weather here has been awful over the last few days but I’m happy to be back anyway. I’m really burning to get going again. Recently I’ve had therapy every day from 8am until 6pm. I worked hard every day in order to avoid having to go under the knife. Now I want to get back out onto the pitch.”
During the first half of the season you suffered from recurring groin problems. Were you able to overcome them with the programme you went through?
“I had a pubic bone infection but we caught it early – nothing too dramatic but it was clear that without that programme it was only going to get worse. I undertook the therapy with the physio from the Brazilian national team at the FC Sao Paulo sports facility. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to completely finish the therapy but that’s not so bad. I did a lot of special exercises that I can continue to do here. I’m convinced that the problem won’t recur. There are enough examples of what this kind of therapy can achieve.”
Your team mate Carlos Alberto moved to Sao Paulo recently. Did you have the opportunity to speak to one another?
“Yes, we were working together in the same facility for five days – I was in rehabilitation and he was in training with the team. We met up and had a brief chat. He’s doing well and is happy. He plans to get stuck in now to help out Sao Paulo.”
Contrary to you, he didn’t settle so well in Bremen – what were the reasons for that and could you compare his situations to your position as you were so unhappy at FC Porto?
“I don’t know what Carlos was missing here. Maybe it’s connected to one of the many injuries and illnesses he’s suffered from. I’m quite sure that Klaus Allofs and the trainer analysed the situation very closely. You can’t really compare it with my position in Porto. I didn’t have problems fitting in there, nor did I have disciplinary issues. The only thing was the trainers decision not to allow me to play anymore. That’s all different here in Bremen. For my part, I can honestly say that I feel quite at home here and have settled in very well. I can thank the whole club for that as they gave me such support.”
While you were in Brazil, did you get wind of what was happening back here? Once again there have been rumours that Juventus Turin are interested in signing you.
“Yes, I read that in the newspaper. All I can say is that I’m happy in Bremen and plan to concentrate fully on my work here.”
Aside from that, you were voted best out-field player by your colleagues in the Bundesliga.
“I’m just as happy about that as I am about all the other awards I’ve received. It’s always nice to be voted the best by one’s peers but the whole thing come down to the complete team and Thomas Schaaf. It just shows how well things are working here.”
The weekend after next sees the re-start in the Bundesliga. How optimistic are you about the second half of the season?
“I’m really fired up for that. I’ve been able to deal with my homesickness but it’s about to get going again now. After a month away I am really looking forward to playing a competitive game and it make things even better that we start at the top on the same number of points as Bayern Munich. That’s highly motivating.”
What about the fact that Torsten Frings will miss the re-start in the Bundesliga?
“Yes, I heard about that too. I was really surprised that something else happened to him – he had been working so precisely. Torsten is a player that we will sorely miss.”
Will this be a head-to-head with Bayern Munich?
“You have to be careful there. The championship in Germany is very evenly balanced. Aside from Bayern and ourselves, there is also HSV. Schalke and Stuttgart, who haven’t been so strong so far, could bounce back too and play a role. Our strength will lie in how well we play together and that we only need to concentrate on ourselves.”
John Muldoon
