Boateng: "I want to win more"

A lot could happen for Jérôme Boateng this year that hits quite close to home. It’s very possible that Bayern will seal the league title on matchday 30 against Hertha BSC, whilst there may yet be two more titles for Boateng in his home city. Both the DFB Cup final and the Champions League final are taking place in Berlin’s Olympiastadion, which means Boateng has a great chance of enjoying more “finals at home”. Currently, however, Boateng is with the German national team in Frankfurt as they prepare for this evenings game against Australia, as well as Sunday’s European Championships qualifier against Georgia. In an interview with DFB.de, Boateng discusses his past, his ambitions and his goals.

DFB.de: You seem to always give your best performances when under great pressure, like in the Champions League final against Dortmund, or the World Cup final against Argentina. Your best performances always come at the best possible moment.

Boateng: Recently that has always seemed to go well for me, but that wasn’t always the case in my career. It’s just how things have developed. As you gain experience, things go better for you. It also helps you be at the top of your game mentally.

DFB.de: Can you describe this development further? How do you learn to cope with the pressure?

Boateng: Of course, the pressure before big games is high, but I let myself get excited more than I used to now. That leads to me being more at ease mentally. I concern myself less with thoughts of what might go wrong; I try to imagine positive outcomes when I think “what if”. This helps me get through games without panicking. As a result I am able to approach the big games feeling at ease.

DFB.de: So from that, you almost have the opposite of a catch-22 dilemma – a win-win situation if you like. Your calmness leads to top performances in the biggest games and knowing that surely leads to greater calmness and therefore better performances?

Boateng: Mental strength is just one component and to have a good performance you need different factors to come together. Your physical condition, current form and concentration, for example. Furthermore, footballers are always dependent on their team and the players around them. You also cannot be too calm before a big game; there has to be a degree of tension. But obviously experience is valuable, as is the knowledge that you have already played well in big games. I definitely benefit from that.

DFB.de: With Bayern and the national team, winning is the norm. Against Gladbach on Sunday you were reminded of what it’s like to lose. How much to you hate losing?

Boateng: I hate losing as much as I love winning. It’s always been like that. Even when I was very young I could never handle losing. It’s still the same today. Even if we lose a training match, I get really annoyed and I can’t laugh or smile for a while. Losing is not for me.

DFB.de: There are good losers and bad losers. What would you say you were?

Boateng: Inside I am a bad loser, fortunately. Outwardly though, it’s different. I can definitely appreciate the performance of an opponent. For me that deserves congratulating and it’s decent to have respect for your opponent. Gladbach played very well against us and I have no problem acknowledging that.

DFB.de: You personally had a good game against Gladbach. Does that have an influence on how you deal with the defeat?

Boateng: It’s irrelevant to me really because football is a team sport. The worst defeats are the ones in which you are annoyed by the way you played as a team. Games in which you play really badly. Against Gladbach we didn’t play terribly, we aren’t suffering a dip in form. It’s helpful to think like that when we look towards the next game, as we know we don’t have too much to correct. We’re on the right path, which is very important for the final stage of the season.

DFB.de: This year there are two finals in your home city Berlin- the DFB Cup and Champions league. Do you have any memories of the last Champions League football was played in the Olympiastadion?

Boateng: It was the season that Hertha were in the Champions League.

DFB.de: In the 1999/2000 season

Boateng: I was in the stadium for the games against Milan and Galatasaray. At that time I was a ball boy in the Bundesliga, but not in the Champions League. I remember my brother Kevin was a ball boy for these games and I was very jealous of that.

DFB.de: Back then you were twelve. Do you know what your dreams were back then? What did you hope to achieve in life?

Boateng: I know exactly what I dreamt of – I wanted nothing more than to be a footballer. There was nothing else for me.

DFB.de: You didn’t dream of winning titles?

Boateng: Back then not really. The first time I started thinking about winning trophies and being successful was just before I turned pro. First I wanted to establish myself in the Bundesliga and find my feet.

DFB.de: You’ve made this dream a reality and with many titles come more dreams. What do you dream of now?

Boateng: More trophies. To regain the title’s that I have already won, as well as new ones like the European Championships.

DFB.de: You face Georgia in Tiflis on Sunday on the road to the Euros in France, but before that you have a friendly in Kaiserslautern against Australia. Since Monday the national team have been preparing in Frankfurt, where defensive colleague Holger Badstuber is back in the squad. How do you feel about that?

Boateng: I’m really pleased for him. Both privately and sporting wise, he is an asset to us. I’m good friends with Holger. He’s a good guy and a good footballer. Unfortunately he has been injured for a while and his return is great for the team. I can say the same for Ilkay Gündogan. It’s really great and it strengthens us to have these two back in the team.

DFB.de: Badstuber’s return means more competition for you…

Boateng: If you can’t handle competition, you shouldn’t be in the national team. Whatever is best for the team is the most important and I don’t know any team that doesn’t thrive from having competition in its ranks.

DFB.de: Germany recently played with a back three against Gibraltar and during the win in Spain. How much did you have to adapt to this system?

Boateng: It’s not a problem for me. Now and then we play with a back three at Bayern.

DFB.de: What concrete differences are there when you play in a back three?

Boateng: I play more centrally and have more contact with the ball. I have the whole game and pitch ahead of me and I’m more responsible for build-up play. I like that.

DFB.de: More than in a back four?

Boateng: I wouldn’t say it like that. I’m always a fan of whatever system will bring us the most success against whichever opponent. I enjoy football in any system. In general, the goal is to be flexible and able to adjust quickly, in order to perform in different systems.

DFB.de: Today the first international of the year takes place against Asian champions Australia. How well do you know your opponent? Have you seen any of the games from the Asia Cup?

Boateng: I’ve seen some, but not much. It’s obvious, though, that a team can’t win such a tournament without having quality in its squad. Today we will spend some time analysing the opponent a bit more.

DFB.de: The game is also important for building some momentum ahead of the Euro qualifier against Georgia. Poland are top of Germany’s group at the moment. How unusual is it to not be top of the group? How great is the pressure because of that?

Boateng: Naturally we would rather be in a stronger position. I don’t see any real problem though. We need to take things as they are. We know we can play better than we have done recently. We know what we have to do and we will do everything to ensure we win the next few games. I am very optimistic that we will do this.

DFB.de: Why are you so optimistic?

Boateng: Our quality. We have some players, who have recently been missing, back in the squad. Holger and Ilkay, as well as Bastian, Marco, Mesut and a few others. If we play like we know we can as a team, like we did during the World Cup, then it will be very difficult for teams not to lose against us.

DFB.de: Following the retirement of Philipp Lahm, Miro Klose and Per Mertesacker after the World Cup, there has been somewhat of an upheaval in the national team. The team needs to develop a new hierarchy. How do you think the team are coping with this and do you see yourself as part of this now?

Boateng: I don’t believe there is any process that is influenced by anybody or anything. It’s something that develops naturally within the team. Where do I see myself? I’m not exactly new to the team; I have had to fight for my place and have a lot of experience now. I believe I am well respected in the team. The manager knows what sort of player he has in me and I think he trusts me. I’m always taking on more responsibility and I enjoy it.