DFB.de: In the final training session on Wednesday evening, you were both practising penalties. Do you have a feeling that you're going to get another?
Friede: No, but we often have ten minutes at the end of training to do something individually. So Gökhan and I often grab a goalkeeper and take a couple of penalties. Obviously it paid off (laughs).
DFB.de: How happy are you with your performance at the U19 EUROS so far?
Friede: I'm happy with my personal record of one goal and two assists. We shouldn't have lost so heavily against the Netherlands. Our whole performance wasn't good enough. It's good that we improved against Bulgaria. Now we need to keep going.
DFB.de: Your coach Frank Kramer said that sometimes you need to remeber to hang back. Is he right?
Friede: I think I know what he means. Sometimes I wonder too much on the pitch. I lack purpose and sometimes have to be reminded. So I suppose he's not wrong (laughs).
DFB.de: It's a group final against England for the Germany U19s on Sunday. How do you want to approach it?
Friede: We're not thinking about the situation with the group. We can't control what happens in the other match. Therefore, we'll just try to do our thing and win the game. That won't be easy. I watched the game between England and Bulgaria. They have a couple of really good players.
"Sidney Friede is a very fine footballer, who sometimes needs to remember to stay back," said Frank Kramer before the start of the U19 European Championship in Georgia (2nd-15th July). With two games of the tournament gone, it would appear the U19 head coach has his finger on the pulse.
The Hertha man has had a strong tournament up to now and has contributed with one goal and two assists. We caught up with the 19-year-old to discuss, among other things, how he rates his own performance, what it will come down to in the final group match against England on Sunday (16:00 CEST) and why he still likes living at home. He also tells us why Frank Kramer wasn't wrong when he said Sidney Friede could do with hanging back from time to time.
DFB.de: Mr Friede, how big a relief was it to get the 3-0 win over Bulgaria?
Sidney Friede: Very big. It's very important to us that we give ourselves every chance here at the EUROS and that we forget about that poor performance against the Netherlands.
DFB.de: What did you do better than in the 4-1 defeat to Holland?
Friede: We did what the coach wanted us to do right from the first whistle and got off to a top start. We went ahead early, but this time we were able to put more wood on the fire. We started the second half well as well and managed to go 3-0 ahead. The one thing that we can still improve on though is being less erratic when we create chances.
DFB.de: Two of the three goals were penalties. The first was put away by Gökhan Gül and you scored the second. Was that planned?
Friede: Normally I'm our penalty taker, but Gökha begged me because he felt certain he was going to score. So because we got two penalties I took the second. I was also certain that I would score. I'll have the same self-belief if we get another penalty later on in the tournament.
DFB.de: In the final training session on Wednesday evening, you were both practising penalties. Do you have a feeling that you're going to get another?
Friede: No, but we often have ten minutes at the end of training to do something individually. So Gökhan and I often grab a goalkeeper and take a couple of penalties. Obviously it paid off (laughs).
DFB.de: How happy are you with your performance at the U19 EUROS so far?
Friede: I'm happy with my personal record of one goal and two assists. We shouldn't have lost so heavily against the Netherlands. Our whole performance wasn't good enough. It's good that we improved against Bulgaria. Now we need to keep going.
DFB.de: Your coach Frank Kramer said that sometimes you need to remeber to hang back. Is he right?
Friede: I think I know what he means. Sometimes I wonder too much on the pitch. I lack purpose and sometimes have to be reminded. So I suppose he's not wrong (laughs).
DFB.de: It's a group final against England for the Germany U19s on Sunday. How do you want to approach it?
Friede: We're not thinking about the situation with the group. We can't control what happens in the other match. Therefore, we'll just try to do our thing and win the game. That won't be easy. I watched the game between England and Bulgaria. They have a couple of really good players.
DFB.de: There's been a real boom in young talent at your hometown club Hertha Berlin since current head coach Pal Dardai took over. How much of that is down to him?
Friede: It's true. Pal Dardai puts a lot of emphasis on youth because previously he spent a long time involved in this area. He takes us to training camps and introduces us to first team training. The team is also really good at welcoming us so that we can develop quickly.
DFB.de: What's the plan for the coming season?
Friede: I'm meant to be in the U23 squad, but will train more often with the first team and wait for my chance.
DFB.de: Lots of you teammates had to leave their hometown to pursue their football career. Do you enjoy the privilege of still being able to live in Berlin?
Friede: Definitely. It's nice for me to be able to live at home and in familiar surroundings where I've grown up. I have the complete support of my family there and can focus on playing football.
DFB.de: Until recently you've still had to concentrate on school. So we must congratulate you on passing your Abitur!
Friede: Many thanks. I'm starting to notice what a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. It's no surprise that I passed my Abi because I was always quite good in school. But now that I don't have the double burden of that and football I realise what I've achieved. It's a nice feeling. No I can spend the next year or two concentrating on football.
