Pierre Kunde reflects on his solo goal against Köln
Pierre Kunde reveals what he was thinking before his stunning goal against FC Köln and reflects on the criticism he faced earlier in the season.
Mainz midfielder Pierre Kunde has explained what went through his head before his solo goal in Sunday's 2-2 draw with FC Köln.
After receiving the ball in the the opponents' half, Kunde skipped past a number of defenders before he slotted the ball past Timo Horn in the Köln net to earn Mainz an important point.
"When I got the ball, I just tried to think of something as I didn't want to lose to it. Then I saw there was a gap," Kunde said in an interview with Kicker and added:
"It was very important, especially for the mentality, that we didn't lose. This point gives us the right morale for the next game."
Kunde was back in the line-up for the first time since Matchday 20, when he faced heavy criticism for refusing to shake hands with Mainz coach Achim Beierlorzer after he was subbed off in the first half of a 1-3 loss to Bayern München.
"The week it happened was one of the toughest in my career. The way I behaved wasn't really my style," Kunde said, looking back on the incident.
"Sitting of the bench for five or six weeks afterwards wasn't easy for me. But I was ready to play again at any time. Yesterday, the chance was there for me," he added.