interview
Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund, cup winner with Bayer Leverkusen and unbeatable with VfL Bochum – Martin Kree, 401 Bundesliga video games, has skilled all the things that’s determined in German soccer lately. Discussion about profitable Bayern, man tags and hugs Matthias Sammer.
Sports present: Dortmund, Leverkusen, Bochum: In all three of your former golf equipment, one thing is at stake on the finish of the season. Who is the happiest about him?
Martin Kree: Well, you need to take a look at it this fashion: two can win one thing and one can lose loads. Downside, these are video games the place you lose management, and as a former participant and board member, I’m very glad about that. Because it is about presence. However, I additionally sympathize with Leverkusen and Dortmund, not least as a result of each conditions are similar to these on the time.
Sports present: He is referring to the 1997 Champions League last, which Dortmund gained 3-1 in opposition to a seemingly formidable Juventus Turin.
The Kree: That began within the semi-finals. Manchester United had virtually as many probabilities in opposition to us as Paris do now. Then you suppose: Great, now it is the ultimate of the Champions League! When the time got here, simply earlier than the beginning of the sport, it occurred to me: You know, you’ll be able to enter the nice historical past of the membership. And hopefully not as a result of he stepped on the ball as a defender. The internal rigidity hurts me now, so this sense accompanies me for the remainder of my life.
Sports present: But the stress disappeared over the course of the sport, I feel?
The Kree: Juve have been many favourites. Then we scored the primary aim, adopted by the second, and I observed how nervous they have been. And later, after we needed to overcome many tough conditions, with 5 minutes to go, we have been positive that nothing a lot will occur right here, that we’ll really win the Champions League, though nobody thought we might win it. Then all the things left me. Then I gave Matthias Sammer a hug that I solely do with my spouse.
Martin Kree, 58, performed 401 Bundesliga video games for VfL Bochum, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund between 1983 and 1998. Besides the Champions League, he gained two German championships with BVB. Today he owns an IT coaching middle in Holzwickede.
Sports present: Would you say that the stability of energy between Dortmund and Real in the present day is identical as that between Dortmund and Juve then?
The Kree: I’ll say it loud and clear: we used to have a greater crew than the one we now have in the present day. Of course not by direct comparability, that might be nonsense. But in the appropriate momentary state of affairs. We have been higher positioned when it comes to gamers than the crew in the present day. In addition, Juve didn’t have the boldness of the Champions League that Real Madrid has in the present day after their many {qualifications}. But we have been additionally fortunate, that should be mentioned clearly. Otherwise it would not work. And if Borussia repeats the efficiency of earlier Champions League matches and places strain on them boldly, who is aware of. In phrases of ambiance, BVB has already gained. 400,000 ticket functions in comparison with Real’s 19,000 – that clearly speaks for Dortmund.
Sports present: Let’s come to Leverkusen with the next matches: the cup last in opposition to Kaiserslautern, in opposition to a decrease degree opponent, like in 1993 in opposition to the novices of Hertha. Does the Europa League gossip change something?
The Kree: No. When you win, it is clear to everybody. If you lose, you’re the nationwide idiot. It needed to occur sooner or later that they’d lose. Is that why they’re breaking apart now? On the opposite. This might be a disrespectful response at finest. I additionally heard from Dublin that the crew is just not moping in any respect.
Sports present: Are you shocked how Leverkusen is totally dominated by Bergamo?
The Kree: They performed with man marking, one man on the pitch, and that damage Leverkusen loads. Adding to that is taking part in with the referee for a very long time, many issues have been going to be hit by us, they did not know that.
Sports present: So not an appropriate recipe for Kaiserslautern?
The Kree: This is a really difficult solution to play, so that you want a excessive degree and willingness to take dangers. I do not suppose Lautern can implement this within the brief time period. Unless Friedhelm Funkel has been secretly skilled for weeks (laughs). No, Leverkusen will present what they’ll do and embellish their excellent season with a double, I’m positive of that. I want to play as soon as.
Sports present: VfL Bochum is unstable, one will get the impression that their first membership is destroying itself proper now. Was it the appropriate determination to sack Manuel Riemann so quickly earlier than the relegation video games? (Bochum misplaced within the first leg of the relegation match 3-0, the interview was completed earlier.)
The Kree: One might see that issues would get tense when the strain got here. It has lengthy been identified that Riemann is a clumsy man who opens his mouth, perhaps generally an excessive amount of. And however, you may have a crew that claims it is sufficient now, what’s the criticism that must be criticized by people who find themselves doing their finest? The membership is now in hassle unnecessarily. I feel the choice is the appropriate one, however I might have favored it earlier than, not earlier than the ultimate video games.
Sports present: It was three months in the past that VfL beat Bayern.
The Kree: That was the worst attainable final result.
Sports present: What is your rationalization for this accident?
The Kree: I nonetheless keep in mind, after the Bayern recreation, upstairs within the VIP room, there was a murmur of “now we’re completed”. I simply mentioned: wait and see, not but. If you conclude by beating Bayern that nothing is going on now, we are able to beat everybody, that’s deadly. All of a sudden you end up down, down and you may’t get out of it, and the ball is merciless and also you drop to sixteenth place within the final minute on the final day of the sport.
Sports present: Do the unstoppable have any recommendation on learn how to forestall the worst?
The Kree: If I have been Hermann Gerland, I might say: You ought to eat grass.
Sports present: Nothing has modified in all these years, sure?
The Kree: Simply put, when issues do not go properly football-wise, you need to chunk, scratch, push, punch. And not simply behind, but additionally offensively, as a bunch. I feel we’ll have the ability to see the place we’re headed in ten minutes.