How has your first year gone here? Have you settled down in Hannover yet?

Obviously I had hoped for things to go better on the pitch, but things have been very good for me away from football. And in the last few weeks the sporting side of things has improved as well.

You hve played very well in the last few games, and forged a good undersatnding with Christian Schulz. Do you see your partnership continuing in the future?

It's looking very good at the moment. We'll have to see how things go in the future, but there's a good chance of that.

Why do you compliment Christian so well? Do your playing styles fit well together?

It's very important to have players who aren't too similar, particularly in central defence, so we work very well together. We talk a lot and understand each other.

If we look Hannover 96 as a whole, things haven't gone entirely to plan. Why do you think that is?

Obviously expectations were high, both from the fans and from us. So when things didn't go so well at the start of the season, particularly with all our injuries, our performances were being questioned. Nevertheless we're looking good to avoid relegation now, and hopefully next year we will be more competitive. We have the team to do it, we just need players to stay fit and to believe in ourselves.

What would be your goal for the team next season?

We've not had much success this year, so we need to make a good start to the new season and see from there what we can achieve.

You're defensive partner Christian Schulz has been linked with a call up to the Germany team recently. How are things looking for you and the Swiss team?

I don't really know. I was dropped from the squad because I wasn't getting games, so now I'm playing I'll just have to wait and see. There is a lot of competition for my position, but obviously I'd be delighted to get another call up.

You've said already that you feel very settled in Hannover. How are things for your family - your little daughter and your partner? Are they also comfortable in the city?

Yes, they're very settled. My girlfriend is from Karlsruhe and lived there her whole life, so she was excited to move somewhere new. And my daughter is also very happy.

Let's have a quick chat about your work as a party planner. You organised quite a few in Karlsruhe, have you had a chance to hold one here? Are there perhaps plans to hold a celebration when safety is guaranteed?

I'm new here, so it's not my job to organise parties! There are other players in the team who know things around here better, so I'll leave it to them. In fact one of the reason's I left Karlsruhe was to leave that behind.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Lots. I really like to go into the city and to the Maschsee lake. I think it's beautiful and I enjoy just hanging out there or havine a walk around it. But at the moment my daughter is number one. I spend so much of my free time with her.

What type of music do you like listening to? DJ Bobo is a big name in Switzerland, do you like him?

That's not my kind of music. I know he's amazing live and I'd like to see him - not because of the music but because of the show.

Back to football once more: Bochum is your next opponent. How do you think the game will go? what can you do to get that elusive win away from home?

We're getting closer and closer to winning on the road. It's important psychologically to end this run. If we can then I imagine we'll have a good party!

Your prediction for the game?

We will win 2-0, I hope.