After Schalke lost 3-1 to Gladbach away in the Bundesliga, they will play a ‘return leg’ at the Veltins Arena in the DFB Cup tonight at 20:30 CET. For Roman Neustädter this is a special occasion, as he played for Gladbach form 2009 to 2012 and got his Bundesliga debut there. In an interview with DFB.de, the two-time national player talks about his ex-club and his difficult relationship with the fans.
DFB.de: Roman Neustädter, are the games against Gladbach special for you?
Roman Neustädter: Actually yes, because it’s the same people in charge as when I left. I have good contact with a lot of the players still, and sometimes meet with them when possible. No one resented me there and I am happy to play in Gladbach again.
DFB.de: Do you tease each other about games like these?
Neustädter: We don’t have any bets or anything, but it’s always funny when we play against each other. Before the game, when you see the other guys on the pitch you can joke around. It’s a bit odd playing against them when you know the team inside out. We stay in contact and are good friends.
DFB.de: Were you surprised about the departure of Lucien Favre, or the unusual nature of it?
Neustädter: Yes, of course. I had spoken with some of the boys and they hadn’t showed any signs of it happening. Jürgen Klopp left Dortmund because he thought he couldn’t offer the players any more, and after four and half years, Favre came to a similar conclusion and decided to move on. I think he did everything in the right way and wasn’t trying to run away from his problems.
DFB.de: How important was Favre to your career?
After Schalke lost 3-1 to Gladbach away in the Bundesliga, they will play a ‘return leg’ at the Veltins Arena in the DFB Cup tonight at 20:30 CET. For Roman Neustädter this is a special occasion, as he played for Gladbach form 2009 to 2012 and got his Bundesliga debut there. In an interview with DFB.de, the two-time national player talks about his ex-club and his difficult relationship with the fans.
DFB.de: Roman Neustädter, are the games against Gladbach special for you?
Roman Neustädter: Actually yes, because it’s the same people in charge as when I left. I have good contact with a lot of the players still, and sometimes meet with them when possible. No one resented me there and I am happy to play in Gladbach again.
DFB.de: Do you tease each other about games like these?
Neustädter: We don’t have any bets or anything, but it’s always funny when we play against each other. Before the game, when you see the other guys on the pitch you can joke around. It’s a bit odd playing against them when you know the team inside out. We stay in contact and are good friends.
DFB.de: Were you surprised about the departure of Lucien Favre, or the unusual nature of it?
Neustädter: Yes, of course. I had spoken with some of the boys and they hadn’t showed any signs of it happening. Jürgen Klopp left Dortmund because he thought he couldn’t offer the players any more, and after four and half years, Favre came to a similar conclusion and decided to move on. I think he did everything in the right way and wasn’t trying to run away from his problems.
DFB.de: How important was Favre to your career?
Neustädter: I got my Bundesliga debut under him, and for that I am very thankful. I wrote to him after his departure to wish him success in the future. He brought that team to where they are now. The credit is all his. Every player developed well under him, including myself. I owe everything to him.
DFB.de: You left the club in 2012. Looking back, do you think it was the right decision to move on?
Neustädter: Absolutely. I have played in the Champions League for three years in a row and been picked for to national teams. I think I have developed as a person. Schalke is an ambitious club in every respect. When you go through difficult stages, you grow and come out stronger.
DFB.de: You have been criticised by the fans in recent years. Can you explain that?
Neustädter: No, unfortunately not, especially seeing as I have played most games in the last few years. Last year didn’t go so well for us, but if that’s the reason I don’t understand it.
DFB.de: Do you resent that or can you block it out?
Neustädter: You have to dismiss it. I prioritise the feedback I get from the manager and my teammates. When the fans whistle, you just have to live with it. I look to play the ball forward and if I can’t then I’ll give a different pass, but if I can see a good option I will try to play it. It’s nicer when you get cheered, but if I have the trust of those in charge then that’s good enough for me.
DFB.de: You contract runs out in 2016. What do you think the future holds for you at Schalke?
Neustädter: I’ll have to stay fit and healthy, and the rest will become clear in time. I am concentrating on the next game, and I am only thinking about giving my all in training and the next fixture.
DFB.de: Have there been talks, or have any been arranged? Would you like to stay, or take your career in a different direction.
Neustädter: No talks as of yet. I am concentrating on the game against Gladbach right now.
DFB.de: It’s a funny situation, playing Gladbach both on Sunday, and on Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen. Do you see it as an advantage or a disadvantage?
Neustädter: That depends on the result. But I think it’s positive that we have the opportunity to show our true strength against Gladbach, and do better than we did on Sunday in the 3-1 defeat.
DFB.de: What do you think of the DFB Cup competition?
Neustädter: The fact that it’s a knock-out competition, that is decided either in 90 minutes or in extra time, that you’re either in or out after the final whistle, is something you don’t get to do very often. You have to play well defensively, not make any mistakes and be clinical up front. It’s not actually that far to go to get to the final, and we now have a home game. We want to go to Berlin.
DFB.de: What does the rest of the season have in store for Schalke?
Neustädter: We want to achieve the greatest possible success. We are third in the table, and want to stay there. We also want to get to the next round of the cup, and in the Europa league to the round of 32. We can manage that. We have a good set of upcoming games in the Bundesliga and want to set ourselves up well for the second half of the season, but you can only do that when you get points.
