A newcomer and two returnees

On Tuesday morning, head coach Sebastian Hoeneß led his team in their first training session since coming back from Japan, with players involved at the European Championship involved again for the first time.

Chris Führich, Leonidas Stergiou and summer signing Fabian Rieder were all back on the pitch, while Maximilian Mittelstädt is scheduled to take part in his first session on Wednesday morning.

Switzerland international Rieder was happy to answer a few questions after completing his first training session with his new team-mates.

Fabi, welcome to Stuttgart. How are you feeling in your new home?
“I’m very happy that I was able to sign on during the European Championship. For me, it’s unbelievable to now be playing for such a great club. I’ve already met a couple of the lads. The fans have given me a warm reception, and the messages I’ve read were equally welcoming. I’ve been made to feel very welcome here and I’m looking forward to the first game in the stadium.”

What did you do during your break after the European Championship?
“That break was important for me, in part so that I could digest all of the experiences I’d had. I had a long season behind me, then the EURO and signing my contract – they were all things I needed to take stock of. I went abroad for a couple of weeks, and I also visited my family in Switzerland. I managed to recharge my batteries during that time. Having said that, it got a bit boring after four weeks and I was eager to get back to action.”

Athletic Club visit VfB for a friendly this weekend. How much are you looking forward to that?
“I think it’ll be a great game. They’re a good team with a lot of quality, but we’ve got no reason to fear them. We want to play well so that we can go into the Supercup feeling good.”

And then the new season is just around the corner…
“I can’t describe how much I’m looking forward to the season. Leonidas has already told me a lot about the fans and I can’t wait to experience it all for myself: the sold-out stadium, great games and a brilliant team. We’ll do everything we can to have a successful season.”