Christoph Klarer, the captain of Birmingham City, has delivered a no-nonsense interview with a pointed message for his team. The Austrian defender was named the club's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season at the awards dinner on Sunday evening, reflecting a season in which he was virtually ever-present in the backline.
Klarer's Leadership and Recognition
Speaking backstage at the ICC, Klarer said: "I've said it before, it's not an easy club to play for, there's a massive fanbase there, there's big expectation and I'm aware of the responsibility that comes with my role as captain. What I try to do is lead by example, lead during the tough times. It's not always going to be perfect but I try my best every day and to get that recognition from two sides is special for me."
Klarer's consistency has been a cornerstone for Blues, who finished 10th in the Championship. He described the finish as "something to build on" after a season of transition.
Actions Over Words
Unlike many of his teammates who spoke about winning promotion to the Premier League at the start of the season, Klarer remained reserved. He now insists that the team must let their performances do the talking. "We need to be ambitious and we need to keep that as well if you want to get to where everyone wants to get to. There's going to be negativity and we're aware of that. We stuck together during the hard times," he said.
He added: "There's no point us talking too much. We need to do it on the pitch and that's going to be hard enough anyway. We've seen what works at this level and what doesn't work and I think we've got a good core group and I'm sure we'll add to it."
Looking Ahead
Klarer's message is clear: Birmingham City must focus on their on-field performances rather than pre-season promises. With a solid core and lessons learned from this campaign, the captain believes the club can push for greater heights in the upcoming season.
