Heidenheim midfielder Eren Dinkçi on their relegation fight, Frank Schmidt and off-field battles

The footballing world has come together to show their support for Heidenheim’s Eren Dinkçi and his wife, Cinja, after her recent leukemia diagnosis. We sat down with him to discuss how he’s coping, as well as Heidenheim’s ongoing relegation fight.

Bundesliga: Eren, this is usually a normal question but maybe a bit different with you: how are you doing?

Thinker: “Things are okay now, given the circumstances. Yesterday was a long, hard day. The day before was a very nice day, so it’s a bit of a mix.”

Bundesliga: How was it for you after your goal and the emotions of recent weeks to celebrate with the fans?

Thinker: “Indescribable. It was really great to get support like that, not just for me but also for my wife. It’s really not a given to get that sort of support for an individual person in such an important game.”

Watch: Dinkçi scores emotional goal vs. St. Pauli

Bundesliga: What’s life like for you at the moment, given the concerns with your wife and the desire to perform at the top level? How do you do that?

Dinkçi: “I try to exude lots of positivity, pass on lots of strength, whether that’s for my wife or in football, because it’s kind of good for me to have that distraction here. That allows me to somehow give her strength and show I’m also fine with things and trying to make the best out of it.”

Bundesliga: How are your teammates, coaches and the club supporting you at the moment?

Dinkçi: “Hugely. The guys always ask how things are at home. The coach asks me every day. I’ve told him he doesn’t need to do that. He asks every now and then, also gives me bits of advice, which is nice. It helps you when the guys around you show interest. It means I can talk about it a bit and it makes everything a bit easier for you.”

Bundesliga: How are you supporting your wife?

Dinkçi: “Being with her whenever I have time, whether that’s in the hospital now or at some point at home again. Just giving her strength. She still expects me to fully do my job and give 100 percent. So, I’m trying to step things up even more and give 110 percent and give her strength through that.”

Bundesliga: There’s been a campaign in recent days by the DKMS (German bone marrow donor centre) in Freiburg and Heidenheim. Over 1,000 fans registered in person as donors. In Freiburg it was 688 and another 455 here in Heidenheim, and then a further 1,400 online. How moved are you by this solidarity?

Dinkçi: “I think it’s amazing. It’s not just for my wife but so many people who need it. We’ve been able to make things happen, which makes us proud, that so many people have got involved and registered. It’s a huge number of people now. We’re at around 2,500 now. We definitely didn’t expect that.”

Bundesliga: Fans have also called for action. You posted the picture of the banner on Instagram. How moving is that for you, the call from the fans both in Freiburg and your current home here in Heidenheim?

Dinkçi: “I need to talk about all fans. It’s not just Heidenheim and Freiburg fans, who are obviously supporting me in particular. The Heidenheim fans do that anyway. It’s indescribable for me how they support me. It’s incredible. But now to get so many messages on Instagram from so many fans of other teams is so great.”

Bundesliga: Christian Günter has had a similar situation with his wife. Have you spoken to him?

Dinkçi: “We had a bit of a longer chat after the game. He told me a bit about his story, what he did. He comforted me and tried to support me.”

Bundesliga: Confidence, optimism and hope are probably things that are important to someone in your situation. In a sporting sense, it’s comparable with Heidenheim’s situation now looking to stay up. How much do you need those three attributes in a relegation battle?

Dinkçi: “Everyone knows the situation we’re in. We’ve got three games left and need to believe. If you don’t believe, you’ve already lost. I don’t think you can do it without those three things.”

Bundesliga: Things looked quite different a few weeks ago. You’ve now lost only one of the last five games. Has a weight been lifted? When you have less hope and your back’s against the wall, is it a bit easier? Now, you’re back in it.

Dinkçi: “I think we’ve had lots of games where luck just wasn’t on our side. I feel we’ve dropped so many points since I joined. We were actually able to compete for a result in every game. When you think back, you wonder why. You can’t really explain it. I’m happy we’ve been able to perform as we have over the last five games. But obviously it might be too late. We’ve just not had luck on our side.”

Bundesliga: What will it come down to in the final three games? What are you working towards?

Dinkçi: “Obviously focus now is on Bayern Munich. The coach said this morning we need to believe. Anyone who doesn’t believe has already lost.”

Bundesliga: What do you need for an upset in Munich?

Dinkçi: “Probably 110 percent from everyone. The best performance by everyone. And probably also a lot of luck.”

Bundesliga: Frank Schmidt is by far the longest-serving coach of any Bundesliga club. What do you make of his significance to the club here?

Dinkçi: “I only know Heidenheim with Frank Schmidt. It’ll be interesting when the day comes when he’s not coach here anymore. But I think the club will be prepared. He’s a really special person for me who’s really helped me in every way.”