It’s clear that „us pros want to be as successful as possible in every game - regardless of who the opponent is. With that in mind, we won’t just be allowing the season to run its course," explained Ron-Robert Zieler following training on Wednesday, looking ahead to the important home clash with Hannover 96 this Saturday (kick-off 15:30 CET). However, the 29 year old will be particularly motivated going into the game against his ex-club. The World Cup winner made 185 Bundesliga appearances for the club from Lower Saxony between 2010 and 2016.
"It’s special for me, but even more so for Steven Cherundolo"
The keeper admitted "It’s a special game for me, but even more so for our co-trainer Steven Cherundolo." The former H96 captain is a very well renowned character and "a genuine icon in Hanover". Just as he was a player, as a coach he is also "a great guy", the like of which every team needs. Between 1999 and 2014, Steven Cherundolo made 370 league appearances for Hannover 96.
The VfB goalkeeper and his colleagues are determined to "reach the 40 point mark as quickly as possible." To do so, the attitude and determination within the side will have to be exactly right. Considering the "extremely tricky" remaining fixtures, against the likes of Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich, Ron-Robert Zieler has warned of expectations becoming too elevated in the season run-in. VfB intend to take a one-game-at-a-time approach.
Pillar of a stable defence
In his first season in the shirt with the infamous red hoop, Ron-Robert Zieler has proven a solid pillar in behind the defence and has had a significant part to play in just three Bundesliga clubs conceding less goals than VfB this term. The keeper’s significance is mirrored in the fact that he hasn’t missed a minute of action throughout the campaign – keeping nine clean sheets along the way. Only three other keepers have managed to keep more clean sheets than Zieler in the current season.