Diego Benaglio

Is it fair to say you're an ambitious man?

Definitely. Yes, I'm very ambitious. I'm also very self critical, and I think that's

something that has helped me progress in my career, something that has driven me.

I'm never satisfied and I think that's a good way to be.

So you presumably have certain goals for your career?

Of course I do yes, but I'd rather keep them to myself. Like I said, I want to work

hard on myself each day, get the most I can out of myself, and then we'll see what

happens....

After the winter break you transferred to Wolfsburg, but Lazio were interested

too...

It wasn't really like that for me. I didn't have to think all that hard about it. The

fact that Felix Magath is coach here, and I'd already played under him, that was a

really positive sign for me - that a coach who already knew me, who knows how I

work, wanted to sign me again. That made it pretty easy for me to decide to make

the move to Wolfsburg.´

You have Italian roots, and correct me if i'm wrong, but when you think about

Lazio's reputation, plus the appeal of a city like Rome - well, it's a different world to

Wolfsburg isn't it?

Maybe, I guess Rome is probably a bigger, and perhaps more interesting city. My decision was always about what would be the best move career-wise. And that

was clearly Wolfsburg. So I didn't even need to think about which city was bigger or

where the weather would be better - things like that don't play a role for me.

I've got some quotes here from a couple of your coaches - Köbi Kuhn said "his

character, his inner-calm, his positive body language are a real plus for the team."

And Magath says "he has a good character, and is ambitious". What do you think

they mean by character?

That's something for other people to judge. I don't like talking about myself. Of

course it's great to hear positive comments like that. But like I said, I don't really like

to talk about myself.

That's probably part of what they were referring to. You're a team player, aren't

you?

Definitely. I'm certainly not the type of guy who likes to be at the centre of

attention. We win as a team, we lose as a team - i don't differentiate at all.

You're Switzerland's number one choice in goal - the same at Wolfsburg. I guess

the time has really come to put into practice everything you've learnt and start

racking up some successes...

I think it's a bit early for talk like that. I'm only 24, there are still a lot of areas of

my game I can improve on, that's what drives me every day. That's my goal - to

improve each and every day. Of course you try and apply what you've learnt, but

there's always much much more to learn, and that's my aim.

Are there any goalkeepers you used to, or still do, consider role models?

Not role models as such, but when I was younger of course i used to follow the

goalies closely. I think you can learn a lot by watching. You can see a lot of strengths

in other goalies' games. There's a lot to be learned by watching. At the moment there

are two keepers, who I think are good - the way they play, how they influence the

game. Buffon and Peter Czech - to my mind they're the best goalies around at the

moment.

I assume if I asked you to place yourself in some kind of goalkeeper ranking, you'd

say that that would be for someone else to judge aswell...?

That's right.

In an interview you said "We're going to be European champions." Rather bold

don't you think?

No I didn't say that! I said that we had to go into the competition believing we

could win. If not, there's no point even taking part. That's what I've always said.

Good for you. So how hard was the 4-0 loss to Germany to swallow?

Our performance certainly wasn't up to scratch. but nonetheless we have to look

forward, have to do everything to make sure we're ready for when Euro 2008 kicks

off, and that's exactly what we're going to do.