Choupo-Moting: 'Champions League is special'

When asked by a Spanish journalist to define himself, Schalke's attacker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting replied 'Grande Jugador' (a great player), much to the amusement of the flock of reporters from England, Spain and France.

Sporting a swanky pink jacket in one of the plush lounges inside the Veltins Arena, the Cameroonian international is certainly not short on confidence. The 25-year-old even wondered why he wasn't invited to Cristiano Ronaldo's birthday party. However when asked about Wednesday's meeting with Real Madrid in the Champions League - a match Schalke suffered a 6-1 hammering in on home soil last season - the striker was evidently cagier.

"It's a Champions League game, so it's completely different from the Bundesliga," said the Cameroonian, adding he wasn't sure what to expect from Real Madrid after they suffered comprehensive losses to Atletico Madrid.

Schalke's playing style has been radically altered by Roberto Di Matteo since he replaced Jens Keller in November. Before the defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, Schalke were five games unbeaten under the former Chelsea coach with the team's sturdy, compact defensive formation blocking out the opposition.

"We played a new system for several games, which includes two strikers and three defenders, but we're staying compact on the field," explained Choupo-Moting. "Of course, maybe it's not the nicest football, but the most important thing is that we're effective. It was really important for us to do this, because at the beginning of the season we conceded too many goals - easy goals where we had counterattacks. We had to change something. There aren't many games where we don't score - if we don't concede a goal then we can't lose."

Boring Football?

The Royal Blues have been accused of playing 'boring' football in some quarters. In the 1-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, Schalke had just 34% of the possession, while Di Matteo's men held the ball for 40% of the time in the 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich.

"It's a good tactic, I think" added the forward. "Roberto Di Matteo knows what he's doing with us - and we see that. We know, as well, when we play that it's not the most attractive style. We want to play more attractive, but it's not that easy. There are so many teams in the Bundesliga who try to play good football and still lose the game."

"We don't feel pressure so much, but we feel and hear things, that the supporters want us to do more. But we know ourselves what is the best for us and we have the feeling on the pitch. That's why we try to stay calm and be focused to do our jobs."

The Hamburg-born attacker, who idolized Samuel Eto'o, his former international team-mate, and both Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, has scored nine goals in his first season in Gelsenkirchen since joining from Mainz.

Combining with Dutchman Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the 25-year-old has almost beaten his tally from last season, whilst contributing to the team's overall attacking strategy with five assists to his name.

"Of course I'm happy with my personal statistics," said Choupo-Moting, who signed on a free transfer at the end of his contract in Mainz. "I'm happy about it: nine goals is alright. I can't say enough because the most important thing is success for the team."

Despite being labeled a skillful winger, Choupo-Moting sees himself in a more central attacking role. "I see myself as a striker and a midfield player. When I was younger I played in midfield. I'm not a typical number nine."

The biggest stage

To challenge himself in the Champions League was one of the main reasons the striker left Mainz, a club where he scored 10 goals in each of his two seasons after arriving from Hamburg. The Royal Blues sneaked out of their group with Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor to set up another meeting with the European champions, who demolished Schalke on their way towards a 10th European Cup last season.

"These are special games and special moments," he added. "You can already feel it in the region. Everybody is asking for tickets for the game against Real Madrid.

"I want to play Champions League, which I hadn't done before. Of course, I'm happy to play now against Real Madrid, and it's always special to play in that competition. It's a dream for every player."