Kramer: It’s not a difficult situation to be honest. I don’t go about demanding inclusion in squads. I was surprised to go to the World Cup and I haven’t let that go to my head. It’s an honour and a privilege to play for my country, however, there are a lot of good players that play in my position. I want the team to be successful and I’ll do my bit when called upon.
DFB.de: How do you see your role within the team?
Kramer: I don’t really know – it’s not something that I like to talk about. I just know I’m part of it and that it’s enjoyable to be there. The spirit and togetherness is something special. It’s easy to settle in as a new player before everyone is so accepting and makes it feel like you’ve been there for 10 years, which probably isn’t the case everywhere.
DFB.de: Are you expecting to lift the title in summer, seeing as you’re currently World Cup holders?
Kramer: I wouldn’t say so. There are a lot of good teams in Europe who are all hoping to lift the crown. We’re one of them – but 2014’s success hasn’t influenced that. Obviously we’ll be under some pressure for outside. Our aim is to give it our all and go as far as we can in the tournament.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen midfielder Christoph Kramer watched Germany’s Handball triumph last Sunday instead of scouting today’s opponent FC Bayern München (18:30 CET). The 24-year-old spoke to DFB.de about both matches, recent form and his role within the national team.
DFB.de: Christoph Kramer, do you think you can take motivation from the Handball players?
Christoph Kramer: I love to watch sport and feel I can take bits and pieces from what I see. Last weekend’s game was certainly a special occasion for German sport and it showed that if you go into games prepared and with the right mindset, anything can happen. That works for us today too.
DFB.de: Can you beat Bayern?
Kramer: We have a realistic chance. They’ve been almost unbeatable this term but anything can happen. They've struggled here in recent years. We’ll need to be at our best, which goes without saying but if we perform to our potential, of course it’s possible.
DFB.de: How important was last weekend’s victory over Hannover?
Kramer: Very. We still have a lot on our plate this term and it gave us confidence. Obviously, anything you take from games against Bayern and Dortmund is a bonus. It’s good to have points on the board, especially as we’re aiming to finish in the European spots again.
DFB.de: How would you assess the season so far?
Kramer: From a team perspective, it’s been mixed. We’ve been incredible in some games but on other occasions we’ve not been as good as we should have been. That also goes for me personally. Our record looks good, but we could’ve been better this season. From an individual perspective, I knew that returning here from Gladbach would be a bit tricky because the sides play different sorts of football, but it’s been going well. I’m not going to put myself under any unnecessary pressure. I’d just like to find a bit more consistency I guess, as I’ve been missing that this term.
DFB.de: Why do you think you’re missing this?
Kramer: It took me a while to settle in here. However, I started the season well so that masked it a bit. However, it was maybe more apparent after the games against Barcelona and Köln. It’s not always possible to find a reason for this sort of thing though, it could be the combination of a number of factors.
DFB.de: A lot of hype surrounded you after the World Cup, but it’s gone a bit quiet now. Which do you prefer?
Kramer: It was a great time and obviously there was going to be a lot of coverage. However, I’m happy that it has subsided somewhat. It was a cool experience, but it’s not something that I’m that into.
DFB.de: Do you read the stories written about you in the press?
Kramer: Whilst I was with Bochum I’d read everything, but that’s mainly because not a lot was written about me! As time has progressed I’ve learned to ignore it. You can work out what a journalist thinks of you based on the way they write about you. This then goes on to influence the opinion of the readers, which shouldn’t necessarily be the case.
DFB.de: Obviously you’d like to be at the European Championship next summer, but as you’ve said before, there’s a lot of competition. How difficult is it for you?
Kramer: It’s not a difficult situation to be honest. I don’t go about demanding inclusion in squads. I was surprised to go to the World Cup and I haven’t let that go to my head. It’s an honour and a privilege to play for my country, however, there are a lot of good players that play in my position. I want the team to be successful and I’ll do my bit when called upon.
DFB.de: How do you see your role within the team?
Kramer: I don’t really know – it’s not something that I like to talk about. I just know I’m part of it and that it’s enjoyable to be there. The spirit and togetherness is something special. It’s easy to settle in as a new player before everyone is so accepting and makes it feel like you’ve been there for 10 years, which probably isn’t the case everywhere.
DFB.de: Are you expecting to lift the title in summer, seeing as you’re currently World Cup holders?
Kramer: I wouldn’t say so. There are a lot of good teams in Europe who are all hoping to lift the crown. We’re one of them – but 2014’s success hasn’t influenced that. Obviously we’ll be under some pressure for outside. Our aim is to give it our all and go as far as we can in the tournament.
