Borussia Mönchengladbach secured a historic victory on Bundesliga matchday 33: Their 2-0 triumph over Werder Bremen was their first win at the Weserstadion in 28 years. Furthermore, Lucien Favre's men also secured a place in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in the club’s history. The last time the Foals participated in Europe's elite competition was in the 1977/78 season, when it was still called the European Cup.
DFB.de sat down with World Champion Christoph Kramer to talk about Gladbach's direct Champions League qualification, his sides chances in the upcoming Champions League campaign, the final match of the season against Augsburg and his future with Germany's national team.
DFB.de: Mr. Kramer, the 2-0 victory in Bremen secured a direct Champions League qualifying spot. How proud are you?
Kramer: Very proud because we have achieved something great this season. Our mentality and our passion, which we have worked hard on, have been there all season and were the foundations of our success. It's also the reason why our game is going so smoothly at the moment. Our winning formula has been to throw ourselves into every tackle – like we did in Bremen. We fight for every ball and all our eleven players on the pitch embody that. It's truly been a great season.
DFB.de: All the pressure is off now and you still have one game left to play at home against FC Augsburg.
Kramer: It's a great advantage to know that we have already qualified for the Champions League. It means we can relax a bit and not have to worry about other teams getting certain results. Anything is possible in football and if we had lost in Bremen, it could've caused a lot of pressure for us at home against Augsburg. Thankfully we avoided that thanks to our victory in Bremen and can now enjoy our final game of the season and try to put on a good show for our fans.
DFB.de: What do you think of Gladbach's chances in the Champions League next season?
Kramer: Obviously the level of play is higher than what we experience week in week out in the Bundesliga. The strain on the body is also higher due to higher number games and more travelling. But I'm optimistic that Gladbach will learn to deal with those issues and play a good role in the Champions League. The team definitely has the quality for it.
Borussia Mönchengladbach secured a historic victory on Bundesliga matchday 33: Their 2-0 triumph over Werder Bremen was their first win at the Weserstadion in 28 years. Furthermore, Lucien Favre's men also secured a place in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in the club’s history. The last time the Foals participated in Europe's elite competition was in the 1977/78 season, when it was still called the European Cup.
DFB.de sat down with World Champion Christoph Kramer to talk about Gladbach's direct Champions League qualification, his sides chances in the upcoming Champions League campaign, the final match of the season against Augsburg and his future with Germany's national team.
DFB.de: Mr. Kramer, the 2-0 victory in Bremen secured a direct Champions League qualifying spot. How proud are you?
Kramer: Very proud because we have achieved something great this season. Our mentality and our passion, which we have worked hard on, have been there all season and were the foundations of our success. It's also the reason why our game is going so smoothly at the moment. Our winning formula has been to throw ourselves into every tackle – like we did in Bremen. We fight for every ball and all our eleven players on the pitch embody that. It's truly been a great season.
DFB.de: All the pressure is off now and you still have one game left to play at home against FC Augsburg.
Kramer: It's a great advantage to know that we have already qualified for the Champions League. It means we can relax a bit and not have to worry about other teams getting certain results. Anything is possible in football and if we had lost in Bremen, it could've caused a lot of pressure for us at home against Augsburg. Thankfully we avoided that thanks to our victory in Bremen and can now enjoy our final game of the season and try to put on a good show for our fans.
DFB.de: What do you think of Gladbach's chances in the Champions League next season?
Kramer: Obviously the level of play is higher than what we experience week in week out in the Bundesliga. The strain on the body is also higher due to higher number games and more travelling. But I'm optimistic that Gladbach will learn to deal with those issues and play a good role in the Champions League. The team definitely has the quality for it.
DFB.de: You've also showed a lot of quality in recent months. What is your personal verdict of this season?
Kramer: Very, very good. It was my first season after the World Cup and we often played three games a week. In contrast to many of my World Cup teammates, I managed to stay injury free as well. I really enjoyed playing for Gladbach and relished my time here.
DFB.de: Would you say that you've taken a further step in your development?
Kramer: I struggle with judging that myself. Obviously I'm happy with my development and I tried to apply myself more this season in regards to our attacking game. I have definitely learnt a lot this past year, but I haven't reached the end of my development yet. I'm only 24 years old. I hope that I can continue to improve at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
DFB.de: What about the national team?
Kramer: Them too of course. It would be great if I could play a role in Germany's national team in the future. I think that I proved this season that it wasn't an accident that I became an international. I now have to look to keep improving step by step.
DFB.de: But you will definitely be looking forward to some time off. It's an extended break this season as there are no World Cups or European Championships to be played.
Kramer: That's correct; it's definitely a longer break than last year. This phase will be good for me and I will get some rest. I wish I could watch the Bundesliga simulcast on Saturday as the relegation battle is quite exciting, but unfortunately we have a game of our own.
