It’s back – the battle for
supremacy in the Ruhr.
BVB travel to Gelsenkirchen,
and this week’s Matchday Magazine has everything
you need to know about the Ruhr derby.
Welcome to your Matchday Magazine!
We’re back from Milan, and we’re still
suffering a bit from last night’s game.
It didn’t go how we all thought
it would go, did it?
You’re right, Norbert, that feeling
from yesterday is still there.
I think it was a game we shouldn’t have lost, because
Inter weren’t really two goals better than us.
They were more clinical, you have to say,
whereas we didn’t pack enough of a punch,
but it was a game we
shouldn’t have lost.
But we can still reclaim second place in the group
in the game here against Inter in two weeks’ time.
Now we know that the home games in
the Champions League are crucial.
But that’s all in the past now, Sebastian, and
at the weekend we have our next game.
It’s derby day, a game that I know all Borussia
Dortmund fans really look forward to.
You’ve been involved with lots of derbies for this club,
in a non-playing capacity for the first time last year:
How different is it, particularly for
such a special game as this?
There definitely is a difference –
you’re involved in a different way,
and you can influence the game differently when you’re
on the bench but you can’t come on as a sub.
Could you still do that?
It’s difficult, particularly in games like this, because
you see how much it affects people’s emotions,
and I think back to the special derby
moments that I’ve experienced.
So sometimes I want to slip back
into the role of a player,
influence the game in the best possible
way, be the derby hero.
Could we still bring you on? Did you
have to return your player’s pass?
No, I didn’t return my player’s pass, but
I’m not on the list of authorised players.
OK. This week we spoke to our captain and asked
him about his experiences of the derby.
You definitely notice that the atmosphere in the
week leading up to the derby is different.
After the game against Gladbach we heard the
fans chanting “We want to win the derby!”,
and obviously we want to win it too.
Once you’ve played in your first derby and
experienced how different the atmosphere is,
both in the team and in the stadium,
you know there’s nothing more important than winning
the derby, so obviously that’s what we want to do.
I think the derby writes
its own laws,
so obviously we want to be on top
of the Blues after the game.
As a Dortmund boy, Marco has experienced
these derbies ever since his childhood.
It’s quite a few years ago now since
you joined us from Freiburg:
what were your first experiences of the derby,
and what are your first derby memories?
Well I joined BVB in 2002,
and obviously as a footballer I took an interest in the
derby games even before I came here as a player,
but when you live in this city and feel all the
emotions, positive and negative, it’s different.
But luckily I have lots of happy derby memories,
including scoring spectacular goals myself.
I can’t really remember
my very first derby,
but they’re the highlight of every
season, a very special occasion,
and sometimes they can help you turn things around,
and that’s what we’re hoping for on Saturday.
And sometimes you can get caught up in all the hype,
but then that’s why this derby is like no other.
Yes, it’s such an emotionally charged game,
but I think that will help us on Saturday.
This game has come at the right time.
You need a certain physicality in the derby – as
a former midfielder, you are well aware of that.
How do we prepare our team for that, and
tell them “Watch out, and stand firm”?
Well, yesterday we played against a very
physical and robust Italian team.
We had to deal with that last night, and we’ll have
to deal with it again on Saturday in a different way,
because it’ll be a hotly contested game
but we have to keep our cool
and avoid getting caught up in all the hype
and emotion, as you mentioned just now.
But you have to be whole-hearted, because
that’s what people expect from us:
that we give everything and push
ourselves to our limits.
They’ll forgive a lot of things, but not if we don’t
seize the moment and fight for BVB as a team.
This has to start in our minds, and you have
to ensure you are mentally well-prepared.
We haven’t had much time, as we played on Wednesday
and there’s not much time before tomorrow,
but it will be enough to get in the
right mindset for the game.
Once we’ve switched completely over to this game,
that’s the only thing we’re focusing on.
What happened before doesn’t matter, and what
happens afterwards doesn’t matter either.
The derby comes after we
played in midweek,
and maybe there’ll be a bit of anger after Wednesday
going into the game against the Blues.
They’ve had the whole week to prepare for the derby
– does that give them any sort of advantage?
It’s the first time we’ve had a midweek
game since the international break,
so I don’t think it’ll be a massive advantage
for them, but maybe it will help them a bit.
Obviously Schalke are at home and they’ll
want to make the most of this game.
They’ve improved a lot, both in terms of
their league position and how they play,
so obviously they’ll be fired up, and they’ll view the chance
to conserve their energy this week as a positive,
but I know from experience that if you go
straight into another game on Saturday,
and if you find the right way to deal with it, then
your legs soon start moving freely again,
particularly in a game like this when
you know how much it means.
And hopefully next week they’ll be looking for
a way to turn their defeat into a positive.
Obviously you need to score
goals to win a derby,
and we asked a few Borussia players past and
present how it feels to score a derby goal.
For me, there’s nothing better
than scoring in the derby.
I played the worst game of
my career in a derby,
but everyone forgot about that after
I scored the winning goal.
Derby goals are food for the soul.
I’ll tell my grandchild about
my derby goal.
Come on boys, good luck in the derby
– you’re definitely going to win!
Derby goals are the best
present for the fans.
Derby goals will never be forgotten.
There’s nothing better than
three points in the derby.
Derby goals are the best
goals you can score,
because people continue to tell
stories about them years later.
So there’s one person left to hear
from, and he’s sitting here.
You scored two derby
goals, Sebastian.
Yes, it’s so cool to see those clips again –
they still give me goosebumps every time,
because I was on the pitch for a lot of those
goals and I remember how they felt.
I think they’ve said everything there
is to say about derby goals.
They’re simply amazing.
It’s true! It’s simply amazing, it’s special,
to score a goal in these games.
It’s louder than normal, there are
more emotions than normal…
I would have loved to score one here,
but my goals came away at the Blues.
Well, you didn’t play that far forward, so we
wouldn’t expect you to score every time!
Performances and results have been
a bit inconsistent recently:
how can we get back to the levels of
consistency we showed last year?
Yes, it hasn’t been easy.
We’ve had a few draws, and the win against Gladbach
was a boost, even though it was so hard-fought.
Then we had the defeat on Wednesday, so it’s not
going quite as smoothly as we want right now.
We have to work even harder on
a few things, take small steps,
and focus completely on this derby,
because nothing else matters.
Every single player has to focus
on their own performance,
and make sure they’re in the best shape so that
they’re mentally and physically fit for the game.
Obviously the coach will have thought a lot
about how we approach Saturday’s game,
in terms of tactics, personnel – there will definitely be
a change or two, as I’m sure Marco will be back.
And that’s important, because just having Marco on the
pitch makes a difference – I felt that on Wednesday.
Yes, having our captain on board definitely helps us
– last weekend he scored the winner, for instance.
He’s someone who causes problems for our opponents,
who they respect, and who can always score a goal.
We need his determination –
even more so on Saturday.
But somehow I’m looking forward to it – I don’t
know why, but I have a good feeling.
I’m really looking forward to it too!
Now we come once again to our popular game:
Goal or No Goal? It’s the duel: Kehl v Dickel.
I won last time, do you remember?
No, I’ve never lost,
not one single time.
We can get the boys to play
the clip again, but I’ve…
If you look at the scores, you’ll
see that I’ve never lost.
Who are you playing against then?
I’m losing, and deservedly so.
-Yes, that’s right.
Răducanu…
Oh for goodness’ sake,
what a mess that is!
Wait, I’ll do it.
Didn’t you play in that game?
I’m not 80! Three, two, one…
He kicks it against his right leg,
and then it goes in, watch.
Like I said.
Who’s that… Abramczik!
Oh yes, The Crossmaster!
That’s easy – it’s a derby.
Three, two, one…
Oh, always the same.
That’s going in.
You’re a defensive player,
you can’t know that.
Stević…
Fredi Bobic… it’s still 1-1. I’m
not cutting the deficit!
Now we have something new: the viewers always
send us clips, and they’re usually the hardest!
I’m excited for this one.
What’s going on there?
Three, two, one…
Damn.
Look where the goalkeeper’s looking,
he’s going the wrong way!
The ball’s going in and he’s
looking the other way!
So, let’s take a look at the scores as they
currently stand – there’s still a long way to go.
In the end I almost always
win, as you know,
apart from when we’ve invented some questionable
new rules for the last matchday.
It’s 12-16, Sebastian, so it’s
not looking good for me.
You should be happy that you only have to play
against me once more this season at most.
I’d be very happy to come back in
the second half of the season.
That was the first thing he said: “I’m still in
front”. I don’t find it very funny, personally.
But anyway, please keep sending
us your clips like that one.
I thought the ball was in, but it wouldn’t have changed
the result as we had the same card… no matter.
Last week we took this fantastic photo
with Julian when he was here,
and Sebastian and I have
taken a great photo too.
You can bid for it, and of course the
proceeds will go to our fantastic charity.
We’ll have to take this to Julian
so that he can sign it as well.
Keep your fingers crossed at
home that we win the game,
and Sebastian will now explain why
we’ll win this weekend’s derby.
Why will we win? Because
we’re Borussia.
Because we’re the best!
Because we’re Borussia.
Exactly. So, fingers crossed – that’s all
from your Matchday Magazine.
Bye for now, and thank you
for being here Sebastian.
My pleasure – hopefully we’ll
all have fun on Saturday.
Bye, and see you soon!
