Felix Passlack believes his experiences in the Revierderby have prepared him for the Edinburgh derby between Hibs and Hearts.
The Hibernian wing-back, a boyhood Schalke supporter who came through Borussia Dortmund’s academy, has experience being caught in the middle of a fierce divide.
He feels he understands the noise and pressure, having played in front of 80,000-plus fans.
Passlack’s Revierderby Background
Passlack played three times in the Revierderby.
He featured in a 0-0 draw in October 2016 and a 1-1 draw in April 2017. He also came off the bench for a 3-0 victory in October 2020.
Passlack said Schalke v Dortmund is one of the biggest derbies in the world, feeling much bigger than Der Klassiker.
“It’s important to fight first and then to play football, just put everything on the pitch,” he explains.
He played alongside Ousmane Dembele, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Shinji Kagawa in the Revierderby.
In the 1-1 draw in April 2017, Aubameyang’s opener was cancelled out by a goal scored by Schalke academy graduate Thilo Kherer.
Passlack replaced Giovanni Reyna shortly before Mats Hummels added to strikes from Manuel Akanji and Erling Haaland in the 3-0 victory.
Family Divided
Passlack’s family are all Schalke supporters.
He said it meant a lot to him to play against them, but he wanted to win the games.
“For my dad, it was a bit… I think he couldn’t understand it. He never told me that, but I could see it in his face. For me, though, it was the right decision.”
Prepared for Edinburgh
Passlack has already experienced the historic fixture for the first time in February, just days after signing from VfL Bochum, and was a spectator for the December victory.
He understands the scale of Sunday’s encounter, having seen the way he plays in non-derby matches.
His family won’t be in the crowd for this game, but they will be watching at home in Germany.
Passlack is keen for a repeat experience of Hibs’ derby win at Easter Road, only this time on the pitch.