When Gaël Ondoua (26) moved from Moscow to 96 at the end of August, he came alone. Wife Maria and daughter Manuela were stuck in Russia because of visa problems. After a good starting field, the midfield clearer into the performance hole. He got over that, also because the family has been with him for a few weeks.

Now the Cameroonian is speaking for the first time about the difficult time, the change of coach and the relegation battle.

Ondoua about …

►His calf injury. “The injury is getting better and better, I’ve been working with the physios for the past few days. I hope everything will be fine again by the game in Ingolstadt. “

►The new trainer Dabrowski. “When a new coach comes along, you never know what to expect as a player. What will his style be like? He’s been with the club for a long time, and the young players in particular are good at him. That’s why it was familiar from the start. Every player will show the new coach the best, it always is. Will the coach bet on me, do I play? That goes through the minds of the players. “

► His position on the pitch. “For me it is nice to have a coach who has played in my position. He knows how it feels to be on the pitch for me. He said to me, ‘If you can go forward, feel free – and enjoy the game.’ That feels good.”

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► Ex-trainer Jan Zimmermann. “It’s part of football. Coach careers are different from player careers. Coaches can stay for four or five years, but they are always the first to be discussed about their position. Jan Zimmermann and Marcus Mann tried to get me here. He fought for me to be part of this team now. I would like to thank him for this and say: Thank you, Mr. Zimmermann! I only wish him the best. “

► His family. “I am just a human. When you miss something, it’s always difficult. Now my wife Maria and my daughter Manuela have been here for a few weeks – and I feel much better straight away. I feel free, even with football. You are here, it helps me play better. Maybe it’s such a psychological thing. After the game I come home and they are there. Before that, I was alone, couldn’t talk to anyone, or only on FaceTime. That helps me a lot. “

► The first days together. “You like Hanover very much. When they arrived, I went with them around the Maschsee. That was also what I did when I came to Hanover in the summer. “

► The 2nd division. “There is a lot more intensity in the second division here than in other countries in the first division. The level is higher than in many top leagues in Europe. Here are top teams, players with more quality, the games are much more intense. You have to make decisions on the pitch as quickly as possible because the opponent is always the same. That was the first thing I had to learn here. The players are strong, physically robust – and much faster. “

► Die Surprise Ennali. “We have a lot of speed with Linton, Maxi and, after his substitution, also with Lawrence Ennali. The boy war against HSV on the pitch. When he started sprinting, I thought: Wow! And this is the pace that defines the second division. “