Pierre-Michel Lasogga is a towering presence in the Al Arabi frontline. The 28-year-old tall German forward, who joined the QNB Stars League side at the start of 2019-20 season, has played a significant role in The Dream Team’s good run that saw them occupy fifth position in the table with 24 points from 17 matches ahead of the tournament’s resumption on 24th July following a long break forced by the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).

Lasogga, who has donned the German national Under-21 team jersey on 11 occasions, speaks to qsl.qa in an Exclusive Interview.

Excerpts:

How’re you gearing up for the resumption of 2019-20 football season?

I think the Qatar Stars League (QSL) has prepared everything very well for the restart. We had a 14 days’ hotel quarantine time for every football professional and the hygiene standards at the hotel and at the training ground are very high. Players keeping safe distance between themselves is very important.

Can you elaborate on your training schedule?

The training schedule has invariably been like how we prepare for a season. But during quarantine, it was a good change to have it two times daily.

Individually and team-wise, how do you cope with the changed scenario?

I think none of us has had this scenario before, so it was a new situation for all of us. But I think it’s really good to know that the season will resume at the end of July. For myself and my team-mates, it’s good to have a target like this and prepare very well for the season’s last games.

Al Arabi still have a good chance of finishing among the top four in QNB Stars League…

Yes, of course. We’re still in a good position to fight for a place in the top four. Especially when you look at our match schedule, then you’ll see that our next matches are against tough competitors, so we’ve everything in our own hands.

What’s your team’s target for the remainder of the season?

As I said before, we still have the target to be among the top four and want to finish the season very well.

What do you say about your first season in Qatar?

I’m very happy that I decided to come to Qatar. My family also feels very comfortable here. For sure, the football culture here is different than that in Europe, but I can feel it growing day by day. My team-mates made it very easy for me at the beginning and I felt like being at home very quickly. I’m glad that, in my first season, we’re still in the race for the top-four position, and are in the semifinals of both Amir Cup and Ooredoo Cup, so the going isn’t bad.