“I’m really enjoying it”

Since Thursday evening, VfL Wolfsburg have been fine-tuning their preparations for the upcoming second half of the Bundesliga season in Almancil, Portugal. Mattias Svanberg, who has been at the club since July 2022, is naturally in the thick of the action at the Wolves’ Algarve training camp. In a wide-ranging interview, the 24-year-old Sweden international shares his thoughts on his first camp with the Green-and-Whites, the standout moments of his VfL career so far and his goals for the rest of the season.

Hi Mattias. You joined the Wolves right after their trip to Seefeld, Austria last summer, which means you’re taking part in your first VfL training camp in Almancil. How have you found it so far?
Mattias Svanberg: “It’s very good and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve only been with VfL for five or six months so the training camp is a really good opportunity for me to get to know my team-mates even better, because we’re spending a lot of time together. Although we train together in Wolfsburg, it’s a bit different at a training camp – you always eat together and see each other when you have a bit of time off.”

Back to VfL – how are you getting on as a Green-and-Whites player?
Mattias: “I’ve felt very happy at VfL from day one. I settled very quickly in the team and in the city too. I’m very pleased I had the opportunity to come to Wolfsburg.”

You haven’t been with VfL for very long, of course, but have you experienced any standout moments yet?
Mattias: “My first goal was very enjoyable because I understood quickly how important the game against Braunschweig was to VfL. It felt good to be able to score in that game, which is so important for the fans and for us. Other than that, I have to say the biggest moment for me was when Yannick Gerhardt made it 3-2 against Stuttgart – a goal I set up. Scoring in the last minute always feels special.”

And finally, the Bundesliga’s long winter break comes to an end in less than two weeks. Have you set yourself a target for the rest of the campaign?
Mattias: “My goal is to help the team as much as possible. I definitely want to qualify for Europe with VfL and finish in the top six. I know we have a lot of games coming up, but we have the quality to achieve that goal if we keep playing like we did at the end of last year, when we were producing strong performances. I obviously want to stay fit and healthy too so I can help us achieve our goals.”