Marcell Jansen: "I am no newcomer"

Having received a late call-up for the game against Kazakhstan, he was one of the first players to be nominated for the German men's national team's tour of the USA. Aged 27, Hamburg SV defender Marcell Jansen has collected 37 caps so far, which makes him the third most-experienced player in this squad behind Lukas Podolski (108) and Per Mertesacker (88). Interviewed by DFB.de writer Steffen Lüdeke, Jansen talks about his longish national team hiatus, the way he deals with criticism, and the Champions League final.

DFB.de: Marcell, have DFB kit men Thomas Mai and Jan Heller already asked whether you can give them a hand?

Marcell Jansen: Why should they?

DFB.de: Because you have shown some extraordinary capabilities when it comes to cleaning team laundry! A video produced by your club shows team mates bringing you last season's shirts, and after a little bit of Marcell Jansen treatment, they come out of the washing trough in next season's kit colours – abracadabra!

Jansen: (laughs) Oh that's what you mean! Yes, I've put HSV kit man Mario Moser under serious pressure to perform… But after just one training session here, there isn't such an awful lot of laundry to be washed just yet, but I'm sure Thomas Mai will come knocking on my door soon enough!

DFB.de: Despite the fact that you're not exactly a born kit man.

Jansen: What do you mean?

DFB.de: Well, kit men need to have an overview of everything, including shoes – and you have this uncanny knack of forgetting yours…

Jansen: That's only partly true! But I know what you're driving at. When I was signed by Hamburg from Munich, the idea was for me to go for my medical and nothing else, but then suddenly coach Martin Jol put me in his starting line-up straight away! Everything went so fast, and I had to have my shoes sent up from Munich really quickly. The second time was prior to the game against Kazakhstan. I was visiting my parents in Mönchengladbach and had no way of knowing that Joachim Löw would call to say he needed me for the game. Obviously, I hadn't brought my football boots, so I had to fly to Hamburg to fetch them. But 'forget' as in stupidly not pack them? Never!

DFB.de: For Germany coach Joachim Löw, the US tour squad features three categories – newcomers, returnees, and established players. Which of these would you say you fit in?

Jansen: Established player, to be honest, as I was an integral part of two World Cup and one European Championship squads, with plenty of match minutes. So, with 37 caps, I'm not exactly a newcomer any more. Having said that, this doesn't mean I feel I can make any demands, I mean nobody gets to be in the national team on old merits. The reason I've been called up this time is the direct result of how I've been performing for my club this past season. Which I think was pretty well, thanks mostly to me staying injury-free and being played consistently as left-back rather than be used as a kind of stop-gap player.

DFB.de: You say of yourself you're an ambitious person. Did it hurt that for more than 900 days your name never featured on any national team players' list?

Jansen: Let's say it was anything but easy. Not being allowed to show what you can do is tough for any athlete, and I felt some kind of gnawing discontent with my situation. I knew of course why the call-ups weren't coming – I was often injured, I was played in mid-field instead of in defence, plus the fact that the club was in dire straits for long stretches of time, trying to avoid the drop. Hamburg have been in the Bundesliga since its inception in 1963 – not in vain do they call us the Bundesliga "dinosaurs" – and no player wants to add "member of the HSV squad responsible for the club's first-ever relegation" to his c.v. Withstanding this pressure was an immensely valuable experience that's made me stronger.

DFB.de: There seems to be a lot going on at HSV right now following Frank Arnesen's dismissal as Director of Sports. Does that make it harder for you to fully concentrate on the national team?

Jansen: No, that's okay. I'd say we've made a major step forward this past season, coming seventh in the Bundesliga, and had we played a little more consistently, we could even have made it into Europe. In some matches, the team showed that we've got potential, and that makes me optimistic for the future, irrespective of who's Director of Sports. The key factor is for the coach and his backroom staff to stay on. But obviously, the faster Frank Arnesen's position is re-filled, the better not just for me, but also for my HSV team-mates here with the German team.

DFB.de: Speaking of whom - Dennis Aogo has come back, so did René Adler and Heiko Westermann a few months earlier than you. How did you feel when they received the call-up and you had to stay at home? Did you talk to them about it, or did you make a point not to?

Jansen: Truth be told, this was not an issue. For a long time, we were locked in the fight against relegation, and there were other problems to tackle. Whereas last season, things improved in the league, I was back in my left-back position, and somehow the national team was back on my mind, because left-back was the position that got me into the team in the first place, giving me many beautiful moments. It was then that Heiko, Dennis, René and I began to speak about the national team more often.

DFB.de: You won your first cap in 2005, was eight years ago. In how far has the national team changed since then?

Jansen: Frankly, I don't think there have been so many changes, which is a good thing. Especially in football, you don't see such consistency in leadership over long periods of time. I think that's great. Coming back after quite a long time, I found that many things had remained the same, including for example the medical and administrative team. That shows me the DFB holds on to things that work, simple as that. The quality of the entire set-up, from the coaches to the physios to the organisation and logistics, is just excellent. Also, and perhaps even more importantly, the way people relate to each other is exemplary. That applies not just to the senior side, but also to all of the DFB under-age teams I played for.

DFB.de: And in how far has Marcell Jansen changed since 2005?

Jansen: I've become older, more mature, quieter, and more experienced. Mönchengladbach, Bayern, and Hamburg are three very special clubs I've been privileged to play for. I've had my fair share of injuries and had to learn how to get back on my feet again. Many positive and negative experiences shape you, give you a certain degree of poise and composure in times of crisis. And I've learned a few lessons on the machinations of this business. There was one particular experience…

DFB.de: You mean the heap of criticism piled on you after Germany's 1-2 defeat against Croatia at EURO 2008?

Jansen: Yes. I clearly had an off day, but so had many others. But it was me, the youngest player, who got all the blame. That was very tough and hard to handle for me at the time. But I didn't give in to resignation; I'd even say all that criticism gave me strength.

DFB.de: … when it would have been much more understandable to lose all faith in yourself.

Jansen: Maybe, but that's not me. I thought long and hard about it and realised that I would only be a loser if I let these insults get to me, if I let my self-esteem be affected by all that. That's the kind of composure, or equanimity if you like, that I was talking about. Dealing with criticism is an art – change your ways if it's justified, but don't give it any thought when it's just meant to hurt you.

DFB.de: The team is here to train and prepare for the upcoming matches, but there are also different activities on the agenda, such as attending an NBA highlight: game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers…

Jansen: Yeah, Basketball is a great sport, even though I don't really follow the NBA from Germany. But every time you visit the U.S., there's no escaping it on TV (laughs). I've never been to a live game, so I hugely look forward to it tonight.

DFB.de: And on Saturday, the Champions League final. You spent a year at FC Bayern. Is this any reason for you to be partisan?

Jansen: Well, if that season with Bayern was the reason for me being against them, that'd be really bad, wouldn't it? On the contrary - for me, being coached by Ottmar Hitzfeld was one of the most important and most enjoyable years as a footballer. The truth is I wish all of the players, no matter whether they're from Dortmund or Bayern, the best of luck and success. Having said that, looking at the wider picture of German football, it probably wouldn't hurt if Dortmund won the trophy. You see, if Bayern's dominance this season helps them win the Bundesliga, the Champions League, and perhaps the DFB Cup final next Saturday, this will somehow reduce the excitement, the level of healthy rivalry that is now typical of clashes between them. And that would be a pity. But as I said – I wouldn't begrudge either team the win. May the better side lift the trophy.