PlayStation? iPad? nope! When Leipzig’s Willi Orban (30) goes on a trip, like last week to the training camp, he has very different things in his luggage than most of his colleagues. A textbook for example. “The Tools” is the name of the current one, “it’s about psychological issues to make everyday life easier,” says the RB captain.
“The Tools: How to really gain self-confidence, joie de vivre, serenity and inner strength” is the title of the book Orban is currently reading
Foto: Picture Point
BILD am SONNTAG: Last season you were again the man from Leipzig with the most minutes played. They prevail against new competition every year. What is your secret of success?
Willi Orban: (smiles) Maybe it’s the secret of the club’s success: that there is one constant. But seriously: I’m like a wine: the older, the better. I’ve just found the rhythm, especially physically, and I know exactly when I have to set which stimulus in order to be top fit for the game. Good performance comes from experience.”
And with you through a lot of preparation and follow-up work. Where does this professionalism come from?
I had my first serious knee injury when I was 18 and thought I had lost everything. The doctors spoke of the end of his career. You develop a different energy, you are more liberated. That was my motivation to change things.
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After every game you always swear by your own shake. They say you’re not allowed to be spoken to before…
(laughs) Yes, I’m very special there. Sometimes maybe too dogged. But at the end of the day, when I see how much I’ve played and that I’ve been X years without any major injuries, that proves me right.
How is the shake made?
Our chefs provide two cups that I mix with water. I mix proteins and carbohydrates, sometimes I add vitamins or turmeric – which is anti-inflammatory. The shake is the simplest form of shutting down the system and also refilling the memory. This helps with regeneration. The next game is usually three days later. It starts all over again, regardless of whether you scored three goals three days before.
Sometimes you also go to the weight bench after games. Is that not too much?
This also helps with regeneration. It makes sense to do an extra strength session right after the game. This is how I release growth hormones. But I have to say that it always depends on the stress beforehand and the game plan. And, very important: This is not the right thing for every body and every type of player. You always have to look at something like this individually.
What’s on the nutrition plan?
Once a week, mostly on Thursdays, the cooks at the training center make me a large plate of fried liver and onions. Not everyone likes it, but liver is nature’s multivitamin. There’s a lot of good stuff in there, especially vitamins. And for breakfast twice a week there is raw meat, mostly tartare. This releases dopamine, which gives me the feeling: Now I’m ready and motivated, now I want to get started.
What else is important to you?
On game day, I only eat carbohydrates just before I work out. And I try to avoid gluten. And just a little bit of stuff that might be pro-inflammatory in general, like dairy.
They also always have special weightlifting shoes with them. Why?
When it comes to strength units, I carry out my program in a somewhat individualized way. My favorite exercise is the deep squat. The shoes give me stability, but it’s also about better leverage because you raise your heels. This gets me a little deeper.
With Nkunku, Laimer, Szoboszlai and Halstenberg four stars are gone, eight new ones came. How do you rate the RB squad?
It’s already a revolution. The next few weeks will show whether the squad is better or worse. We have a good balance between experienced and talented young players. That’s why it’s very exciting what’s happening here right now. I think the guys are all really looking forward to achieving something. We got some fresh blood. That’s also something that many have asked for because we’re getting a little old. (laughs)
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Your Hungarian national team colleague Dominik Szoboszlai went to Liverpool for 70 million euros. Were you surprised?
We still had the international matches in June, then we said goodbye and he said he wasn’t sure if we’d play together again in Leipzig. At first it looked like Newcastle. I was a bit surprised that it would be Liverpool, because in the end it all happened very quickly. I’m happy for him, but he also has to thank Marco Rose for that. He played a big part in its development because he knew how to take it.
Your neighbor Josko Gvardiol is also about to jump to Man City. What is your advice?
that he stays. Because I think one more year with us would do him good. To stabilize again. He’s also had some injury issues over the past two years, which is normal when you’re playing every three days at that level at that young age.
He should cost 100 million euros. Why is he worth so much?
I’ve already met a few very good exceptional defenders in Leipzig – like Konaté and Upamecano. But Josko is a complete package. Above all, his modern way of defending makes him stand out. In addition, the build-up play with his left foot, which also makes him a bit rarer. He brings things that are very rare to find. In addition, he is young, so that the market spits out these sums. And you have to say that he’s just a great guy.
With Marcel Halstenberg, who switched to Hanover, a veteran is gone. How did the farewell go?
That was very emotional. But I’m happy for him. Basically, there is little room for sentimentality in this business. That’s why it’s something very special when someone goes back to their home club and is also allowed by the current club. You always think you’ll stay together as a team forever. But the only constant in life is change. Halste has always fought back despite adversity and resistance.
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Is a return to home club Kaiserslautern conceivable for you?
To date, these feelings have never arisen. In general, you have to say: I see myself at the moment and in the next few years only in Leipzig. Except if Real Madrid calls tomorrow – then I might have to ponder. (laughs)
BamS reported in February this year that you made a stem cell donation and thus gave a person with blood cancer a chance of survival. Did you hear anything afterwards?
Yes. The person wrote me a letter and thanked me. That was very moving, touched me deeply and strengthened my decision once again. I don’t know the person by name, but I do know how old she is and what country she’s from. At some point you might even be able to exchange personal details and meet up.