Two years ago, Nadiem Amiri and his Bayer 04 Leverkusen side lined up for the final of the DFB-Pokal. That night they were blown away by FC Bayern Munich, but this season, they are looking to change that. “We want to win a trophy,” said the 24-year-old Germany international in an interview with DFB.de ahead of the Werkself’s second round tie against Karlsruher SC, on October 27th at 18:30 CEST.
DFB.de: How happy are you with Bayer 04’s start to the season so far?
Nadiem Amiri: Our position in the table shows how happy we are, even if we lost badly to FC Bayern last time out. We massively underperformed, and that shouldn’t have happened in the way it did. Despite that, we’ve started the season well all things considered. We’ve made the first steps on the way to a successful season. Now we need to react from the defeat and learn from it too. I’m sure we’ll come out of this stronger.
DFB.de: Unfortunately it’s not going quite so well for you personally. You’ve lost your place in the starting XI, but have scored twice after coming off the bench. How are you dealing with the situation?
Amiri: I’m not very happy myself, to be honest. I’m an ambitious player and I want to play every second I can, even if the result for us is painful like it was against Bayern. If I don’t start a game then I haven’t achieved my goal for the week. That said, situations like this happen in football. I’m going to start fighting to show my coach how motivated I am and how much I want to play. That’s what you have to do every day as a professional player.
DFB.de: Despite being just 24, you’re an experienced professional with over 170 Bundesliga appearances. Have you experienced a situation like this one before?
Amiri: No, I’ve never had something like this happen in six years in the Bundesliga. I do know that this situation will make me stronger, though. I give my all every day and when I play I try to put my stamp on the game. I need to wait for my chance, though, as things are going very well for the team right now, and that’s the most important thing at the end of the day, even for the players who might not be playing as much at the moment.
DFB.de: You might well get your chance in the DFB-Pokal. You played in the competition’s final back in 2020 and lost 4-2 to Bayern Munich. Was that game the highlight of your career?
Amiri: It probably wasn’t the highlight, because there were no fans in the stands. It missed the atmosphere of a ‘real’ cup final, and didn’t really feel like a final at all for me. Of course, it was cool to play in a final, but I would swap it for one with a full stadium in a heartbeat.
DFB.de: Bayern were unbeatable that season and won everything they could. Could Leverkusen have done more?
Amiri: Definitely not. Bayern were dominant from kickoff and earned their win for sure. They were the best team in the world at the time, especially if you look at what they did in the Champions League two weeks later. Given their last game against us at the BayArena, they aren’t far away from that level now either.
DFB.de: What does the DFB-Pokal mean to you personally?
Amiri: The DFB-Pokal means a title. For me, any trophy, any title, has a huge amount of importance – victories in competitions like this are important for footballers. The final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern a few years ago was inspiring for me, as Eintracht showed that the underdog could win. That means it has to be possible for Leverkusen to win it too and we want to take it home with us. Some people say the DFB-Pokal is the easiest way to get a trophy as you only need six wins, but the term ‘easy’ is very much relative here...
DFB.de: This will be Rudi Völler’s last season as sporting director at Leverkusen. Bayer 04 still haven’t won a trophy during his time in the job.
Amiri: There would be no better way to say goodbye. Bayer Leverkusen haven’t won a title in nearly 30 years, so it’s definitely time for a trophy.
DFB.de: What experiences connect you to the DFB-Pokal?
Amiri: I was a ball boy at the Pokal game between SV Sandhausen and FC Augsburg. Sandhausen couldn’t play at home so the game was at the Carl-Benz-Stadion where Waldhof Mannheim usually play, the team I played for when I was young. That was a special experience.
DFB.de: Bayer 04 take on Karlsruher SC in round two. What is your link to the opposition?
Amiri: When I was a young player I played against KSC many times with Waldhof and Hoffenheim. There was a lot of rivalry and it was always a feisty game against KSC. I’m excited about this draw and the match, which will also be played on my birthday.
DFB.de: How good do you think your opponents are?
Amiri: To be honest, I haven’t been following KSC recently. It’s normal when we have so many fixtures in the Bundesliga and the Europa league that our focus is on our own matches first and foremost.
DFB.de: Then I can tell you that Karlsruher have been stable in the league since Christian Eichner started as head coach and that they are possibly stronger away from home.
Amiri: That may well be. We absolutely won’t underestimate them and are up for the game. It’s about a trophy and we will give our all. We don’t have to speak about our quality. We want to get through and will go into the game with everything we’ve got.
DFB.de: Over summer, you were with the German Olympic team in Tokyo. What did you make of the experience?
Amiri: The Olympic experience was something else; it was a tournament like no other. It was a bit like an U23 World Cup and it was great to be there. It was a shame that we got knocked out so early, but we had a lot of issues with availability and had we progressed, we probably only would have had our third choice goalkeeper on the bench.
DFB.de: Were you able to absorb some of the Olympic atmosphere?
Amiri: Yes, we went to the Olympic village a couple of times and met athletes who were competing in other sports. It was very cool. Of course I’d prefer to be looking back on a successful tournament, but in the end it was also good preparation for the season ahead.
DFB.de: How far away are you from the Germany senior team, considering you have been capped five times in the past?
Amiri: At the moment I’m only thinking about how I can get back into the Leverkusen starting eleven. That’s what I work hard for every day. I know that I have the quality, and when I’m playing well again, then I can start thinking about the Germany squad.
created by mmc/lc/tew
###more###
Two years ago, Nadiem Amiri and his Bayer 04 Leverkusen side lined up for the final of the DFB-Pokal. That night they were blown away by FC Bayern Munich, but this season, they are looking to change that. “We want to win a trophy,” said the 24-year-old Germany international in an interview with DFB.de ahead of the Werkself’s second round tie against Karlsruher SC, on October 27th at 18:30 CEST.
DFB.de: How happy are you with Bayer 04’s start to the season so far?
Nadiem Amiri: Our position in the table shows how happy we are, even if we lost badly to FC Bayern last time out. We massively underperformed, and that shouldn’t have happened in the way it did. Despite that, we’ve started the season well all things considered. We’ve made the first steps on the way to a successful season. Now we need to react from the defeat and learn from it too. I’m sure we’ll come out of this stronger.
DFB.de: Unfortunately it’s not going quite so well for you personally. You’ve lost your place in the starting XI, but have scored twice after coming off the bench. How are you dealing with the situation?
Amiri: I’m not very happy myself, to be honest. I’m an ambitious player and I want to play every second I can, even if the result for us is painful like it was against Bayern. If I don’t start a game then I haven’t achieved my goal for the week. That said, situations like this happen in football. I’m going to start fighting to show my coach how motivated I am and how much I want to play. That’s what you have to do every day as a professional player.
DFB.de: Despite being just 24, you’re an experienced professional with over 170 Bundesliga appearances. Have you experienced a situation like this one before?
Amiri: No, I’ve never had something like this happen in six years in the Bundesliga. I do know that this situation will make me stronger, though. I give my all every day and when I play I try to put my stamp on the game. I need to wait for my chance, though, as things are going very well for the team right now, and that’s the most important thing at the end of the day, even for the players who might not be playing as much at the moment.
DFB.de: You might well get your chance in the DFB-Pokal. You played in the competition’s final back in 2020 and lost 4-2 to Bayern Munich. Was that game the highlight of your career?
Amiri: It probably wasn’t the highlight, because there were no fans in the stands. It missed the atmosphere of a ‘real’ cup final, and didn’t really feel like a final at all for me. Of course, it was cool to play in a final, but I would swap it for one with a full stadium in a heartbeat.
DFB.de: Bayern were unbeatable that season and won everything they could. Could Leverkusen have done more?
Amiri: Definitely not. Bayern were dominant from kickoff and earned their win for sure. They were the best team in the world at the time, especially if you look at what they did in the Champions League two weeks later. Given their last game against us at the BayArena, they aren’t far away from that level now either.
DFB.de: What does the DFB-Pokal mean to you personally?
Amiri: The DFB-Pokal means a title. For me, any trophy, any title, has a huge amount of importance – victories in competitions like this are important for footballers. The final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern a few years ago was inspiring for me, as Eintracht showed that the underdog could win. That means it has to be possible for Leverkusen to win it too and we want to take it home with us. Some people say the DFB-Pokal is the easiest way to get a trophy as you only need six wins, but the term ‘easy’ is very much relative here...
DFB.de: This will be Rudi Völler’s last season as sporting director at Leverkusen. Bayer 04 still haven’t won a trophy during his time in the job.
Amiri: There would be no better way to say goodbye. Bayer Leverkusen haven’t won a title in nearly 30 years, so it’s definitely time for a trophy.
DFB.de: What experiences connect you to the DFB-Pokal?
Amiri: I was a ball boy at the Pokal game between SV Sandhausen and FC Augsburg. Sandhausen couldn’t play at home so the game was at the Carl-Benz-Stadion where Waldhof Mannheim usually play, the team I played for when I was young. That was a special experience.
DFB.de: Bayer 04 take on Karlsruher SC in round two. What is your link to the opposition?
Amiri: When I was a young player I played against KSC many times with Waldhof and Hoffenheim. There was a lot of rivalry and it was always a feisty game against KSC. I’m excited about this draw and the match, which will also be played on my birthday.
DFB.de: How good do you think your opponents are?
Amiri: To be honest, I haven’t been following KSC recently. It’s normal when we have so many fixtures in the Bundesliga and the Europa league that our focus is on our own matches first and foremost.
DFB.de: Then I can tell you that Karlsruher have been stable in the league since Christian Eichner started as head coach and that they are possibly stronger away from home.
Amiri: That may well be. We absolutely won’t underestimate them and are up for the game. It’s about a trophy and we will give our all. We don’t have to speak about our quality. We want to get through and will go into the game with everything we’ve got.
DFB.de: Over summer, you were with the German Olympic team in Tokyo. What did you make of the experience?
Amiri: The Olympic experience was something else; it was a tournament like no other. It was a bit like an U23 World Cup and it was great to be there. It was a shame that we got knocked out so early, but we had a lot of issues with availability and had we progressed, we probably only would have had our third choice goalkeeper on the bench.
DFB.de: Were you able to absorb some of the Olympic atmosphere?
Amiri: Yes, we went to the Olympic village a couple of times and met athletes who were competing in other sports. It was very cool. Of course I’d prefer to be looking back on a successful tournament, but in the end it was also good preparation for the season ahead.
DFB.de: How far away are you from the Germany senior team, considering you have been capped five times in the past?
Amiri: At the moment I’m only thinking about how I can get back into the Leverkusen starting eleven. That’s what I work hard for every day. I know that I have the quality, and when I’m playing well again, then I can start thinking about the Germany squad.
