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kevkesblog · 4 years

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Translation: Julian Brandt season ending Interview with Ruhr Nachrichten (June 21, 2020)

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Julian about...

...the reaction after the Mainz-game:

Ju: We surely deserved some criticism after the game. It wasn’t a good game. But I have to say it was a bit foreseeable because we didn’t play well against Düsseldorf before. Which we barely won. It had a bit to do with luck as well, sure. And I think it was important – especially against Leipzig – sure the season has been long and the mental aspect plays into, yet we have the ability to show our qualities. We showed a completely different face then the one or two weeks prior.

...the defeat against Bayern (0-1 loss):

Ju: It was a game where the stakes were pretty high. We definitely didn’t do ourselves a favor with the game. I think it was a great chance to get involved into the championship race. In the end – if you are seven points behind Bayern, they have such high quality – especially this year during the second half of the season. We knew to catch them would be difficult, or to hope they make a mistake. We should have made more points in the first half of the season as well as in direct games against them – or at least win one of them. Sure, you are disappointed first because you had many hopes before. That’s normal. But I don’t think it was the sore reason why one or two games didn’t work out for us. I’m mean it counts for everyone, but the circumstances are different now. If we play at the Signal Iduna Park and everything is empty, sure its different. We miss the fans.

...the fight for the Bundesliga title:

Ju: I think there were possibilities to put Bayern into a different situation, as it now turned out to be. If you take a look at the share of the points – I think we had 30 points in the first half of the season and now we have 69 with one game left. In the end its about how much pressure you put as a club onto the top team. It’s a different situation whenever you are five, six points ahead. I think had we won the game against Bayern a few weeks ago – and suddenly there is only one point difference – and they have to play in Leverkusen and Gladbach, its then it would have developed totally different in terms of pressure. When you perhaps do a mistake. Sure, Bayern can handle such pressure. But they are also human. But we had the feeling that it was almost over with a seven point gap in the end. For me we had to many draws in the first half of the season. We lost points. Whoever it was Bremen, Frankfurt, Paderborn... we could have made more points in those games and thus could have positioned us better. The second half of the season was good, I think. Also in terms of points. But sure, in the end it’s the direct matches against them. Like, we play well against 16 teams and when push comes to shove we don’t make points. So you have to win against them as well. Yet, you have to admit Bayern played an outstanding second half of the season. I think they had 15 wins in a row. So, that’s how everything went down and you have to get over it and startat the beginning in the next season.

...Emre Can and Erling Haaland:

Ju: They are very, very important players coming to us with Emre and Erling. On one head a striker, which was missing in our team at that point. With all qualities Paco Alcacer had, yet Erling is a different type of player. He is very physical. He is also very quick. And Emre, he is just there. He has a certain presence if you look on the pitch. Somebody who hits in between. Has very uncomfortable in one-on-one fights. Those are two types of players which we lacked as a team during the first half of the season. I think it would have been a different situation had they already been with us from the beginning of the season. However, we also had enough quality the first half in order to make more points. I wouldn’t make it dependent sorely on both guys.

...goals for the next season:

Ju: Of course, finishing second is a win in some sense. But we want “the big thing”. We pledged ourselves to be on the very top at the end and not behind another team. Before the Mainz game it was clear Bayern won the title, so sure it’s the goal to finished second from that point on. But it not as if you start popping champagne corks (smiles)... I think its important for BVB to finish second – even in the last two years. Sure, we showed that we wanted to be team which is hunting Bayern and we will try again next season. That’s why you participate in those tournaments – in order to win them (smiles) and not to say ‘Okay, well lets have a see what is possible’ and if not, its fine because we will finish second. We want to win those competitions. This year it was difficult, because of Bayerns second half of the season. Even if it would have been possible for us to make it, in my opinion. And I mean the second half of the season also gives us some encouragement, which we have to carry into the next season. Hopefully with fans. You all know it as well, its something special whenever you are in our stadium. But it can also lift you up.

...the BVB-season 2019/20:

Ju: Yes, the defeat against Bremen in the DFB Cup still hurts until today. The chance was big for us to reach the final. In terms of the season, I would say it was an up-and-down. Especially in the first season half. After that, is was more constant. Also in terms of points. Well okay, the Champions League was a special situation. We would have had good chances to get into the next round. But I would say the DFB Cup hurts the most, yes.

...potential for improvements for BVB:

Ju: We have to make sure to win tight games. Games where the first plays against the second, third or fourth placed teams. Those are a bit like those “all-or-nothing”-games. We lost against Leverkusen in February. Which was an important game. We lost both games against Bayern. We unfortunately in the first half of the season... and I had my part in that as well (laughs)... played only a draw against Leipzig. Which was important as well. And for me... those are games you have to pull through. You have to beat the teams around you if you want to stay on top. They’re like six-point-games. But you also have to take teams seriously who are down below in the Bundesliga standings. You cant play a 3-3 draw against Paderborn at home. Sure, we’re not machines. We are just humans. The fact you lose games is normal. As well as a poor performance. You can do that one or two times but the rest of the time you have to be on point. There is room for improvement for us.

...finishing second in the Bundesliga:

Ju: Sure, the reaction after yesterdays game... Mats did an interview as well. The fact you are not satisfied and the question is asked ‘Are you happy about finishing second?’ Sure, we a happy about the second place. Sure, we are happy about our win. And sure, we a happy about making the best out of our situation. Yet, we aren’t satisfied. I would grade our team as hungry enough to win titles and able to. Its supposed to be the goal. You have to set yourself high goals. We aren’t angry, but we aren’t satisfied with it as well. We want more. It didn’t work out this year for us, that’s true. You have to accept that. And you have to stay hungry, because you will need it next year. You need a exceptionally good year in order to finally make it.

...Bayern Münchens self-confidence:

Ju: I mean its something Bayern has worked on very hard, that self-confidence. I think they know about their qualities. But they worked on it for years. Having this attitude on the pitch as well. And I think its because of their hard work. It comes automatically, if you always manage to win, to focus yourself everytime. Its dangerous a bit too. You can become a bit careless. I think if I take a look at our team and our second half of the season; we made a lot of important wins. Suddenly, we did that as well as Bayern – also winning shitty games like against Hertha or Düsseldorf. So you thought: Okay, we don’t really play well, but we manage to win in the end. We got our self-confidence. We get our chances and we score and that could be enough. So I think we got that in ourselves a bit already. But this has to be in yourself over the entire season. There are games in the second half or the season, which we wouldn’t have won in the first half (smiles)... or perhaps played a draw... We had so many situations, where in the beginning of the season, us leading in Frankfurt... I don’t know, did we lead against Bremen? Freiburg... yes. We should have won. We had this feeling that we couldn’t let this slip out of our hands. And those are the difficulties... in that sense you have to take some hints from Bayern, because they wont lose such games. That’s were we have to get to. But I have a good feeling we can get there.

...his first year at BVB:

Ju: Well, turbulent...!? (smiles)... I think there has been a period where I had to find myself in some way during the first months. I played on many positions and didn’t know many of the guys. Its all a bit un-harmonic. But I think I fit in now. I had a nice year, I have to say. With great moments too. I always like to think back to the game against Inter Milan at home. You could suddenly feel whats happening in the stadium. I have to say, I’m satisfied. Of course, everything can be better. I don’t doubt that everything will turn out the way I wish it will in the future. But for my first year its fine, given that many things often don’t happen like you anticipate them. Its fun to be here. With the guys, with the stadium. Its something special.

...a possible Jadon Sancho transfer:

Ju: I’m positive. Of course you never know in football business. It’s adaily business. Today its like this and tomorrow its like that. The current situation with the crisis changes a bit in football. You have to look if transfers that big are still possible. But I’m not involved in that. I would be happy to play another season with Jadon. In the end its not up to me to make such a decision. I will hold my finger crossed that the BVB management will find a solution.

...the BVB transfers:

Ju: Of course you are aware of that. There is a lot of speculation. You also like to play with it sometimes. I mean if there’s are rumor – independently whether its true or not – sometimes you can tease someone on the team (smiles)... and yes you sometimes show those news to each other... (smiles)... how should I say. It doesn’t influence me. Sure it may be different at Bayern, but that Leroy Sane-story is running for eight months now. I’m not so sure whether they are still keen talking about that in interviews. I think that’s the case everywhere. Many talk about Jadon or Achraf. And it’s the same in Munich. Or in Leverkusen many people talk about Kai. It’s normal. You got used to it. And it’s somewhat a part of it as well. Rumors being floated. Personally I’m relaxed about that to be honest. Of course I want to play in a top team next year, like we had this year. But the guys there at BVB are doing a superb job. In terms of players we got this season, in the winter with Emre and Erling. I don’t think about that too much. They will manage everything and I’m sure we will have a great team on the pitch next year.

...a possible players union:

Ju: I absolutely like the idea behind it, especially now during the corona crisis where many players are saying we want to be consulted as well. We want to be asked about stuff. How we can manage stuff. If we even stand behind certain decisions. But I have to ask Mats about details (smiles), since I really have to know the idea behind it. So I cant really say much about it. But generally I approve the idea of players collectively being represented. To be independent. Because there are many decisions being taken without us players having any input. Okay, in the end we are just employees as well. We don’t get to decided everything, that’s clear. That’sfine. But still there is stuff, where you want to get included. So I think its good,with Mats and many players are now being involved.

...the current corona-situation:

Ju: First of all, physically we all feel well. Even though we have many injured players which you can see on our bench. It was exhausting however mentally in your head, if you include the time before the break. I don’t know, but we are just at home for sixteen or seventeen weeks now and try to follow the quarantine rules as good as we can. Even now where many things start to re-open again, we are still at home. I does something with you at some point. You don’t see a lot of people. You get to see your family and perhaps a friend, but not many other people. I think everyone is happy, when everything is over. Yeah... so you can regain some freedoms again. Going outside. Sitting in a restaurant or whatever... I think it will be good for me. And I’m actually happy that the season is over, because I have high hopes that the gates for fans in the stadium will re-open again. In the end... and I just felt it recently: in the beginning you were a bit euphoric because you can play football again. But in the end its no fun without fans. So it would be nice, if perhaps a we can play in front of fans in some form, because football is for everybody.

#julianbrandt #julian brandt #bvb #borussiadortmund #bundesliga #dfb #diemannschaft #german nt

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