From Austria to the Osterdeich – more than just the dialect changed for Florian Kainz when he moved up north. The winger has finally become a core component of Werder’s squad since the turn of the year, and he’s found form as of late, with two goals and three assists over the last six Bundesliga games to his name. Kainz has arrived!
The Austrian youngster found himself being deployed with increasing regularity from Matchday 22 onwards, which was also around the time that Werder’s current unbeaten streak began. “Whether there really is a correlation is for others to judge,” explained the 24-year-old with a smile, before continuing: “It’s great for me personally as well as for the club that everything is going very well. I’m not complaining if it continues!
Kainz is cheerful today. No wonder that the hero of the derby secured himself a spot in Werder’s history books, “not much has changed since them,” he remarked. “People approach me more often around town, but apart from that, not much.” But with regards to his footballing career, he was rewarded a week later in Ingolstadt. Manager Alexander Nouri gave him the nod to start the game, and he played 89 minutes before being brought off to take time off the clock.
The skillful dribbler looked back on his prominent rise lightheartedly, saying, “I needed a bit of time to adjust to the intensity of the Bundesliga, and I was under no illusion that competition for starting places would be tough. However, I stayed patient, worked hard on my game, and trained over the winter break.” Now he’s reaping the reward. “I’m very hopeful for the future,” said Kainz.
