SCHLOTTERBECK on his comeback, the new BVB and the national team | Interview
Having recovered from a medial ligament injury, Nico Schlotterbeck has returned to Borussia Dortmund’s starting line-up against SC Paderborn. In this interview, he looks back on what he describes as his “toughest time in football so far”, speaks enthusiastically about the newly assembled squad and reveals why the upcoming match at VfB Stuttgart is a special one for him. All his comments can be found in the video. ▶ Subscribe & hit the bell: https://goo.gl/kujepC BVB-TV: https://www.bvb.tv/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bvbofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/BVB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bvb09 Facebook: https://facebook.com/BVB TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bvb Website: https://www.bvb.de/ BVB
Transcript
Yes, it’s been my toughest spell in football so far. And in terms of physicality and presence, it really is top-class. My godfather sits in the Cannstatter Kurve stand. He’s probably always having a bit of a go when I’m playing. Schlotti, it’s great to have you back. How does it feel to finally be back on the pitch with the team? Well, it’s a lovely feeling. Above all, it lifts my spirits a bit, because when I’m injured, I’m not exactly in the best of moods. That’s why I’m absolutely delighted – I’ve really missed the lads too. I’m just looking forward to being back on the training ground, training day in, day out, and, above all, being able to play matches again. Let’s take a brief look back anyway. You’ve already mentioned that your mood wasn’t exactly the best. The group stage, Toronto, the World Cup. An injury against the Ivory Coast, and your World Cup dream was over. How difficult were those days for you as a footballer, but above all as a person, Nico Schlotterbeck? Yes, it’s been my toughest time in football so far. I did have a much more serious injury last year, but this one really hurt. I couldn’t actually feel it that much because I picked up the injury quite early on in the match, and although I was in pain, I’m the sort of player who isn’t that sensitive. I can cope with pain; I can play through it, and I actually felt fine the whole time. Then, during the water break, the doctor said, ‘Hey, I think you’ve torn your medial ligament in your ankle.’ And I’d already had that trauma on the other side a year and a half ago against Barcelona, when I tore two of my lateral ligaments. I just don’t feel any pain there. I can walk on it and just thought to myself, ‘Right, okay. The medial ligament’s gone, but I’ll just carry on.’ But then at half-time I said to the doc, ‘Come on, let’s go off – safety first.’ We were in a good position too – we’d won the first match and were already halfway to the last 16. And then a day later, a bit of pain set in, and I couldn’t put as much weight on it. And that’s when the diagnosis actually came: ‘OK, your medial ligaments are torn.’ But I still had this feeling: ‘Right, I’ll just pop a few tablets and I’ll be fine, because this is a World Championship.’ I didn’t want to miss out because of such a trifling matter. But then there were actually – I think in the end there were 5, 6, 7 people involved – what felt like the best doctors in the world, the best physios in the world, and everyone advised me against it, because it could simply have become chronic afterwards – chronic instability in the ankle – and then the days that followed were already extremely tough. All the better that you’re back now. You’ve already mentioned that last year you suffered an injury of a similar severity, or perhaps even more serious. Back then, you made your comeback against Wolfsburg and played the full 90 minutes straight away. This time, after 75 minutes, you signalled that you’d rather come off. Did you run out of steam a bit? Yes, I was already pretty knackered. I have to say, Wolfsburg was a bit different. I was in rehab for longer, of course, so I was able to build up my fitness a bit more. And I also played as a central defender, which allows you to play a bit more with your vision. As a left center back, you really have to be a bit more proactive. Right up until the very end, I think it was the first time in my career that I was that knackered. And I didn’t want to let that tiredness lead to a mistake or a muscle injury. That’s why I told the manager I’d like to come off. In the interview after your comeback just under a year ago, you said you were very nervous ahead of that comeback match. What was it like this time? Not really, because it simply hadn’t been that long ago. To put it dramatically, there were only seven or eight matches in between, because it was the summer break, after all. But I was absolutely delighted this time – as I said in the interview afterwards – because there’s a certain addiction to the football we play. And I’d simply missed playing in front of the fans again in a big stadium. Just having fun again, playing football with friends too. That’s why this time there was no tension at all, just a sense of anticipation for the match. One player you haven’t been able to play alongside on the pitch yet is Emre, although you’re obviously very close to him. After all, you’re both captains. You’ve probably spent a bit more time with him recently. How is he getting on at the moment? Right. It’s always a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, I always say I’m absolutely delighted that he was there with me during my rehab, because he really did support me enormously. Because a lot of people don’t actually know Emre personally, but only from television – he’s just a very, very decent bloke, a very polite person, and a top footballer. That’s why, on the one hand, I was glad to go through rehab with him. On the other hand, though, I found myself thinking it would have been better if we hadn’t gone through rehab together, but had just kept in touch as normal. Emre’s doing well so far. He’s still got a longer road ahead of him than I did. I have enormous respect for that. I now know what really matters in rehab. But I think that when Emre comes back, we’ll see the best Emre we’ve seen in a very long time. In your absence, Waldemar Anton was the one who led the team onto the pitch as captain; he also seems to be playing an increasingly important role within the team. Is it the case that he has now become one of the key players? Or has he actually always been that, and it just wasn’t apparent to outsiders? Yes, actually ever since Niko. He had a spell of about one or two months at the start when he wasn’t playing for Niko. But since then, Waldi has been a regular in the starting line-up without interruption. And I’m always quite open about saying that. For example, if Waldi plays in the centre and I’m on the left, I always say: Waldi’s the boss then, because he simply sets the tone. He communicates more loudly than I do, and I’ve got no problem with that. And everyone knows Waldi’s got a massive influence in the team. Everyone can see how much he’s developed. Everyone can see how good he is. And you have to admit, he finally got the well-deserved applause from the fans at the weekend – something he’s deserved for a long time. What he’s achieved over the last year and a half has been absolutely brilliant. And that’s why, in my and Emre’s absence, Waldi was simply the boss. The way he led by example was really impressive. How do you see it – given that it’s been a bit of a lull recently – the general atmosphere, so to speak, from an outsider’s perspective, regarding BVB? Very good, yes. There’s a bit of euphoria in the air. It’s always good to have that sense of euphoria at the start of the season, because it simply gives the team so much more self-belief. I think we’ve simply got off to a good start to the season against Hamburg, with that brilliant first half. That also immediately gives the fans a good feeling about the season. We’ve now won three out of three in the Bundesliga, we’ve won the Cup match, and we’ve won the Champions League match. So things could be worse, but we want to stay on track now to keep playing very, very successful football. How did you personally follow the team’s progress over the summer? Did you get caught up in a bit of that euphoria when you saw new players joining one after the other and pre-season training going really well? Or did you focus primarily on your recovery process at first? I’ve really, really, really focused on myself. I’ve also had a lot of faith in Ole. The signings he made turned out to be very, very good in the end and really helped us a lot. Even so, my main goal was actually to come back as quickly as possible to bring a bit of my style of play to the team, simply to provide stability and show that I’m back. And I think what’s happening in the team right now is really good. The atmosphere is good. Players who perhaps didn’t play as much last year – like Fabio, for example – are now performing well. That means you might have another new signing there. And the new signings who’ve come in were all top-class, or are top-class. Just take Jo Gadou, for example, playing alongside me in defence – in terms of physicality and presence, he’s top class. I’m just absolutely delighted, and I also feel that we can achieve a lot with this team. This summer, your brother Keven also changed clubs; he’s the first Schlotterbeck to play abroad, at Southampton. We know you as a family who always try, whenever possible and if the fixture list allows, to watch the matches together. That’s probably going to be a bit more difficult now. How often do you still see each other? We haven’t seen each other since then. I’d actually planned to fly over for Keven’s signing. But it just didn’t work out timing-wise with my rehab. Dad was away for the Paderborn match, for example – so Mum was here and Dad was in Southampton; they split it between them. But yes, the plan is actually for me to fly over around Christmas, because England keep playing right through to Boxing Day and so on. We might see each other now during the international break, as the matches aren’t really taking place down south. I’m just absolutely delighted for my brother. I think that was a good move. He’s playing really well. I was able to watch the first few matches because I was still injured. In England, in the second division, they play a bit more often. That’s why I’m absolutely delighted for him and hope they have just as good a season as we have. The first international break is coming up soon. Fortunately for you, it’s not a break. It’s Jürgen Klopp’s first squad. You’re in it. How have things gone so far in getting to know the new national team manager? Yes, he did ring me a couple of weeks ago; he just wanted to know how my rehabilitation was going. But he said he didn’t want to put any pressure on me just yet ahead of the first international break. If I’m not quite ready yet, then I’m not quite ready. But he’s definitely counting on me. I’d actually been planning to play against Paderborn for a while, because the timing just worked out. That’s why I told the national team manager that I’d love to play in that match and that I’d actually be ready by then. I let him know again last week that I’d started training, was taking part in everything and that things were looking good. Now, at the start of the week, he’s let me know his plans for me – that I’ll be there for the full two weeks. That’s why I’m really looking forward to it. He’s ushering in a new era, and I hope it will be a successful one. What are your expectations as you face what is likely to be yet another period of upheaval in the national team? I mean, you were already part of the squad under Hansi Flick, then Nagelsmann, and now Klopp. What do you expect from this? How will you all gel as a national team? The important thing with the national team is simply that we’re successful. We’ve had some absolutely brilliant spells, particularly under Julian. When I think back to the European Championship on home soil, that might well have turned out really well with a bit more luck and a bit more fairness from the referees. At the World Cup, we were simply knocked out by Paraguay, which wasn’t down to the manager, but rather down to us players, who perhaps didn’t perform to our full potential. But basically, I simply expect us to be successful when playing for the DFB. I believe – or rather, I know – that we have great players in Germany; we have plenty of players in Germany. And if we can bring those German virtues to bear on the pitch, then we can achieve a great, great deal. And I simply hope that things will improve now under Jürgen. Before that, there’s still the match away at VfB Stuttgart to come. You’ve got off to a great start, winning in the league, in the Champions League and in the cup. What makes you confident that you’ll still come away with another three points from this notoriously tough away fixture in Stuttgart? Yes, because hopefully we’ll stay in the flow. Of course, it’s to be expected that we’ll have to work hard in Stuttgart. They’re simply a possession-based side who do that very, very well. Last year we won 2–0 there, but if we’re honest, we didn’t play that well. We want to change that this year. Nevertheless, the result is what counts above all else, and as Borussia Dortmund, whether you’re travelling to Stuttgart, Munich or Leipzig, you go everywhere wanting to win. That’s why I believe we’re brimming with confidence, have learnt valuable lessons from last year, have a solid game plan and will hopefully win the match. Is that still something special for you, actually? You’re from that area, after all, and I think you even played for the Kickers at one point. Or is it just another Bundesliga match now, like any other? Well, it really is special. There are just so many family members there. My godfather sits in the Cannstatter Kurve. He’s probably always having a bit of a go at me when I’m playing. But basically, I’m just delighted to be playing in Stuttgart. It’s still my home. I’m from Swabia. It’s a great club that’s worked its way back up over the last few years. And I think it’s good for the Stuttgart region as a whole when VfB are performing well. I can see now that you’re already wearing a T-shirt from your new collection. What sort of feedback did you actually get in the dressing room? Great, great. I actually gave Sabi, Emre and Alex Meier a whole set as a present. I’ve had good feedback, both from my lads and from a few fans who’ve noticed it. It’s not too expensive, and the feedback’s been good. The lads in the marketing department here in Dortmund have really come up with something brilliant, and I’m absolutely delighted. It’s my first one, and I do wear it every now and then. Did everyone else have a wish list but not receive any presents? No, not right now, but loads of people have asked, ‘So, where can you buy it?’ I told them, ‘In the online shop, ’ but they were kind of implying, ‘Could you maybe… I mean, could you give me a bit of a discount or something for free?’ But yes, basically everyone was happy with the collection – and I was especially pleased.