Top line summary

  • Feels close to full fitness
  • Enjoying Scotland's football culture - 'it's like a religion'.
  • Feels he can thrive in Tynecastle hostility

Emiliano Marcondes spoke to the media ahead of Wednesday's Edinburgh derby. Here's everything the Hibs playmaker had to say...

We love to talk about how physical football is in Scotland - how have you found it?

“The Championship is also quite physical – and the Premier League as well. Even in Denmark, it’s also very physical, but the game is a bit more tactical there. But, yeah, obviously the game here is physical. But for my style of play, it’s important to be technical, to be tactically organised and thinking about my position. Obviously you have to go into the duels in any league. But to be clever and smooth in some situations, to not go into the duel, that’s my style of play – and I think the best players know how to do that. If you are playing quickly, the opponent can never get close to you. You don’t have to play physical football. You see the best teams in the world, Man City and a lot of the great Premier League sides, it’s really difficult to get close to them and actually really put a mark on them, put a tackle in. If you do, you are often late – and get a yellow card."

How close do you feel to full fitness?

“I’m still on the way to full fitness. I had a little issue that meant I missed Celtic, then had it for a few weeks. But I’ve really enjoyed playing in another league, seeing a different style of play, a new football culture. The culture here is a little bit different. Not so much, but there is another way here of looking at football, analysing football, judging the play and the style. It’s different. So it’s been quite exciting, interesting to see, and I enjoy the differences – just being around different football people and challenging myself in a new environment.”

Anything about game here take you by surprise?

“Not really. It’s not that different from England. It is quite similar, the premier League is obviously much quicker and you use less touches and a bit more organised and structure in the way you play. Here is a bit ore back and forth. Probably similar to the Championship.”

What are those differences in football culture that you've noticed?

“I feel the fans are really passionate here. They are maybe screaming a lot more when you walk out at half time and before the game. They are trying to get in your head. Even if sometimes I don’t understand the accent I can see in their faces it’s not nice things they’re shouting!

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"You can feel it means so much to them. I also read an article that Scottish football has the most attendance per person in Scotland. That is a signal that everyone is coming to the stadium even if it’s cold here.  It’s like a religion here. They come and support their team and although it’s not always positive they are here to show that they care.”

Has Edinburgh, a two club city, really felt like a football city to you?

“I haven’t really felt that hate or rivalry yet in the city. I’ve only really met Hibs fans and not had the negative abuse from Hearts. Maybe that will come after tomorrow!”

What's the most hostile environment you've played in?

“The two Play-Off finals I played in, the first one was a derby, Brentford against Fulham. I felt that before the game and after it as well with the bragging rights and all that. In Denmark we had a local derby as well, I played for Nordsjaelland against FC Copenhagen. You can feel what it means beforehand with fans telling you : ‘We have to win!’ I feel that here as well. I have fans texting me and there is more media attention around it. So that’s the way I feel the more important games, from the fans perspective."

Three quarters of Tynecastle will be against you - do you thrive on that?

“I love it! I love when there are more fans and when it’s louder. I’m a player who likes to play with emotion, it drives me when there is something at stake and it means something to people."

People talk about the need to try and take emotion out of a derby, do you see it differently?

“You don’t want to be too emotional, like a fan, with referring decisions and where every situation is win or lose, if you lose the ball you’re gonna lose the game. You still have to take risks and be brave, and that’s where you don’t want to be emotional because you can maybe hide a bit too much. You have to be clever the way you position yourself, be strategic and that’s a bit away from your emotions.

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"Whereas if you’re emotional you tackle and and you want to run, and obviously you have to do that, but you need to be a bit more clever sometimes, stay out of the duel if you can win the ball in another way or take the ball past a player by being patient in that area. That can benefit the team and yourself and that’s what I like, when opponents sometimes get frustrated, and to use that to my advantage.”