Portuguese striker Gonçalo Paciência says he is pleased with his decision to join Schalke 04 from fellow Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt, citing professional and personal reasons for the transfer to a club considered the third biggest in German football.
Paciência signed a one-season loan move with Schalke earlier this month, after two seasons at Frankfurt during which the 26-year-old proved himself a capable goalscorer despite struggling at times with injury. The form of Bas Dost and compatriot André Silva at Frankfurt is thought by many to have provoked Paciência’s departure, but the player himself insists time on the pitch was not a strong factor.
“I received an offer from one of the biggest clubs in Germany,” he told Maisfutebol earlier this week. “It is a club with lots of fans, I felt on arrival that it is a different, special club. Here in Germany everyone says that Schalke is one of the three biggest in the country, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. It is the club that comes right after these two giants.
“I think I would have ended up playing regularly in Frankfurt, I renewed my contract in February and the club believed in me. But I needed a new challenge, I was in a comfort zone. I've always liked challenges. This is a new phase, a new club, the need to win over my teammates, to make them value me, to win over the fans ... that's what is beautiful.
“It is also beautiful to be 15 years in the same club, but I like to see new places and meet new people. It makes me grow. In Frankfurt I would have minutes on the pitch, but the confidence I received here was fantastic.”
“One of the best clubs in the world”
Such confidence was shown in Paciência when he was thrown straight into Schalke’s line-up just days after arrival for their trip to European champions Bayern Munich. The evening was a disaster, with Schalke losing 8-0 and the club forced to release a strongly-worded statement addressing the nature of the defeat.
“It was very important [to start against Bayern] and have that sign of confidence,” the former Porto man said. “The conversations I had before I got here with the CEO and coach David Wagner showed me that they believe in me a lot. I felt enormous confidence in my worth and felt that I had to take this step.
“It is a step forward, Schalke is one of the best clubs in the world and the confidence of those responsible was decisive. My debut didn't go well, due to the result against Bayern, but I'm sure it was the right step at this stage in my career.
“Schalke are always up there [in the table] and was in the Champions League two years ago. It also influenced my coming, this club is always in the European competitions and that pushed me. It is difficult to match the level of Bayern in Germany. In France [PSG] and in Italy [Juventus] it is a little bit the same. Schalke's project is interesting and intends to get back to the years when they were closer to Bayern and doing well at UEFA. That excited me.”
German bond
This season will be Paciência’s third in Germany and Maisfutebol asked if there was a particular attraction to remain in a country where few Portuguese attacking players have made a mark. Indeed Hugo Almeida’s 42 goals scored with Werder Bremen and Hannover is the highest tally reached by a Portuguese in the history of the Bundesliga.
“I have already earned myself a name in Germany, for the goals and performances I have been making,” he said. “People know me and it made sense, given the current world context, to stay in this league. The Bundesliga is one of the best championships in the world, it is in the top 3 without a doubt, and I wanted to stay here. I really enjoy being in this league, it's fantastic.
“I didn’t know about Almeida’s goal record. I don't want to underestimate the Portuguese footballer, but that shows the level of the Bundesliga. There are few Portuguese in the history of the German championship and few stay more than two years. It is a physical game, intense, very dynamic and requires us to raise the bar. There are 10-12 big name teams, it is a very good championship to watch. I want to reach the level reached by Hugo, who was a great striker and maybe overly-criticised and undervalued. He had a very beautiful career.”
And the German people, whom Maisfutebol suggested are stereotyped to be distant but organised? “They are welcoming people. At first there is that [distant] personality, but they give people time to prove the reason they were brought here. If you prove that you are good, that you are here to work and grow, people are good with you. The first days are difficult, people look at us and you feel they are thinking "let's see what will come of this".
“Euros motivates me”
Should Paciência remain a first choice for Schalke throughout the season, the remainder of the campaign will provide plenty of opportunity to impress Portugal boss Fernando Santos and earn the frontman a consistent place in the Seleção squad during the build-up to next summer’s defence of their European crown.
“It motivates me,” he admitted. “It is in my plans to assert myself in the Seleção and I want to be present at the European Championship. It is a goal and a dream. Have I spoken to Mr Santos about this move? Not yet, but there will be games very soon. I am proud to be in such a small group of players that make up the choices.
“Portugal has great options in all positions, there are players going to big clubs and the National Team is a place where I want to be. I want to be with the best, being in the European Championships is an objective.”
Finally, it did not escape the attention of many back in Portugal that Paciência’s new home stadium was the setting for FC Porto’s 2004 Champions League triumph over Monaco. Paciência, who was just 9 years old when Jose Mourinho’s side made history, now finds himself in a house from where he is almost able to see the stadium which holds such treasured memories for the Dragons.
“When I arrived in Germany, one of my first games was at this stadium. I am intrinsically linked to FC Porto and even Schalke's colours are the same (laughs). So of course it’s funny that I have ended up here. Schalke is my club, they represent what I will defend from now on, it is a very big club in Germany and I did not hesitate to accept this invitation. But yes, it is true, of course I immediately remembered the 2004 final of FC Porto.”
via Maisfutebol
By Sean Gillen
