One training session in the morning, another in the afternoon, coupled with team discussions and recovery work, meant that Atakan Karazor did not have a great deal of free time on his hands, but he still managed to relax and take in the view of Lake Tegernsee, if only for a brief moment. “It’s a lovely spot for us to have our training camp,” he said – a fact helped, no doubt, by the persistent rain finally subsiding. Other than the weather, conditions have thus far proved ideal for VfB’s training camp, with a decent pitch, a nice hotel, good logistics and the right atmosphere.
“We get on very well as a team”
That last point is of particular importance to the current captain, who joined the club in 2019 and took on a leadership role in 2024. “I take the extra responsibility that comes with the role very seriously,” the 28-year-old said.
Point of contact for the team
“I looked back on the year we had and thought about what I did well as captain and which areas I can still improve on,” he explained, adding that for the forthcoming season, he was keen to pick up on any issues that were perhaps not being voiced out loud. Karazor has a good rapport with all of his team-mates and speaks with all of them on a regular basis, as he does with the coaching and backroom staff. “We get on very well as a team, but at times there might be something that a particular player mentions only in passing, even though it’s of real importance to them. The lads need to know that they can talk to me at any time.”
Looking forward to the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup
After last season’s DFB Cup triumph, the side will be looking to build on that success in the new campaign. “Our aim is to keep on improving on the level that we achieved,” Karazor said, and that starts with the Supercup. “We know that if we want to win that match, we’ll need to be at our very best,” the captain added, underlining the importance of making sure that the squad gets the most out of the current training camp, as well as being there for one another off the pitch – an example that he himself is more than happy to set.
The Cannstatt boys will round off the camp with a friendly against French Ligue 1 side FC Toulouse, who ended last season in 10th place. The game in Heimstetten, near Munich, will kick off at 15:00 CEST on Saturday 2 August.
