Lorenz Assignon arrives for the interview with a smile on his face and a “Hallo, wie geht’s?” in German, making it clear for all to see that he feels very much at home in his new location. His positive nature is infectious. The full-back, who joined the club last summer from French side Rennes, is settling into life in Germany and Stuttgart. Other than six months on loan with English Premier League club Burnley, this is Assignon’s first spell abroad – a move that was carefully considered, as he explains to us.
Hello Lorenz, how are the German lessons going?
Lorenz: “It’s not an easy language, that’s for sure (laughs). I’m keen to learn though and I’m looking to keep speaking and understanding more in German all the time. I’m currently having two German lessons most weeks, which is helping. In addition to French, I already speak English and Spanish, but German is definitely a challenge.”
Is there anyone in particular helping you to settle in?
Lorenz: “There’s a whole host of them – team-mates, coaches, backroom staff, especially the ones who also speak good French and can translate the more complicated things for me. What I did notice was that even before my first training sessions in Stuttgart, a lot of my team-mates wrote to me and asked me if I needed anything or how they could help me out during the first few days. I thought that was really nice as it’s not the kind of thing that happens every day in professional football. It gave me a warm, welcome feeling.”
You joined VfB in the summer. What made you sign with Stuttgart?
Lorenz: “VfB is a big club with fantastic fans. The team plays at a high level, has a lot of good players and we’re in Europe. I was clear that if I was going to leave Rennes, I had to be taking a step forward in my career, and Stuttgart was the best option for me to develop. The talks I had with management were also important.”
Matchday 4 saw you in VfB’s starting line-up for the first time in the Bundesliga, and you ended up beating St. Pauli 2-0. How do you think you have fared so far?
Lorenz: “I settled in quickly during pre-season, but it still takes time to adapt to a new club with a different way of playing – and in a new country. There was also the fact that I was still suspended for the first league game. I’ve learned a lot, listened a lot and worked hard. I’m feeling really good now. The coach has done well in choosing when to give me more playing time, and it feels good to be out on the pitch.”
VfB host Heidenheim at the MHP Arena on Sunday. What kind of match are you expecting?
Lorenz: “It’s going to be a tight, hard-fought game. I’m looking forward to playing them as obviously it’ll be the first time that I’ve come up against them. Every match is a new experience for me in the Bundesliga, which is cool and exciting. Our aim is obviously always to be successful, and we hope to be celebrating a win with the fans after the final whistle.”
