FC St. Pauli coach Alexander Blessin has justified his club's air travel to upcoming DFB Cup opponents RB Leipzig. "We are not somehow a funfair team," said the 51-year-old ahead of the clash between the Bundesliga rivals in the second round of the competition on Tuesday (18:00/Sky). "That has nothing to do with double standards either," he added. "We are professionals and we think in every respect: How can we perform best and bring our performance to the pitch?"
The journey to the game in Dortmund almost two weeks ago had brought the Hamburgers criticism, according to media reports "If there is a possibility now, then we have always said that we will travel by bus or train. That is quite clear," said Blessin.
Blessin: "Better regeneration" thanks to flight
The coach is primarily concerned with the regeneration time after three games in seven days. "That's why we chose this flight tomorrow, where we can sleep at home again and regenerate a little better," said Blessin.
A direct train connection with the ICE from Hamburg to Leipzig is sometimes available from a journey time of just under four hours, while the two cities are around 400 kilometers apart by car or bus.
According to Blessin, his team is "the clear underdog" at Champions League participant RB. "But you saw in the first leg that we can hurt them," said Blessin after the 0-0 draw against the Saxons in September. The coach will face his former club, as the Stuttgart native coached several youth teams at RB before making the step up to professional coach.
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