
Hannes Ohnewein already played against Plose in 2010/11. © F. Griessmair
Hannes Ohnewein, why are things going so well at St. Pauls?
FC St. Pauls got off to a brilliant start in the second half of the season. All 4 games so far have been won. In the Oberliga table, the traditional Überetscher have moved to second place - together with Lavis, who have the same number of points. Now there is a duel with league leaders Tramin.
28. February 2024
From: cst
12 out of 12 and 10 out of 12. These are the records of the Oberliga teams St. Pauls and Tramin in the second half of the season. While St. Pauls won all four games in the spring, Tramin only lost out against Rovereto (4:3). Now the “Ancient Derby” is coming up on Sunday and the starting position couldn't be better: the first team (Tramin) is playing against the second team (St. Pauls).
SportNews asked around in advance from both camps. First up is Hannes Ohnewein, the captain of St. Pauls.
Hannes Ohnewein, things are going brilliantly for St. Pauls at the moment. What is the reason for the top form?
Ohnewein: “At the moment we are having a very good phase, then everything will be easier. But we also played good games in the first half of the season, although perhaps we weren't always rewarded. In addition, the winter preparation was very good. There are no injuries and everyone has always trained. A high level of training helps.”
Yuri Pellegrini took over as coach over the course of the season. But he had been at the club for a long time beforehand. What defines him?
“We have known Yuri for a very long time. He lives for football and is 100 percent there for this sport every day. He's already done a lot in training as an assistant coach, and now he's doing a little more. Through his passion he infects everyone, everyone follows along. He’s simply a top man.”
What is noticeable at St. Pauls this year is that many young offensive players have become top performers. What is the reason for that?
“We have talented players who can go far. Dennis Recla and Jacopo Pecoraro, for example, were already good last year. You could see their potential, but the goals were missing. This year it's different and they can learn a lot from Jonas Clementi. He shows them how it’s done.”
Dennis Recla (right/here against Hannes Sonnenburger from Obermais) is St. Pauls' top scorer with 8 goals. © A. Giacomelli
Let’s get to the starting point of the “Ancient Derby”. The league leader comes to the second place team. It couldn't be better, right?
“That’s right, you can only wish for something like that. The starting position makes the derby even more special. In addition, this year we finally don't have to think about the relegation battle. That could perhaps be an advantage for us because we can play without any worries. In Tramin they are used to being at the forefront. Now we're in a good mood too. Everyone is really looking forward to the game.”
How do you expect the opponent?
“Tramin hasn't changed much and they have almost the same team as last year. So I don't think they'll perform much differently. They are always strong in terms of play. I do think they have a certain amount of respect this year. Simply because we are in a very good mood. It will definitely be an exciting game in which neither team will hide and both will play to win.”
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