Schürrle: It’s different. In England, people only tend to clap when something happens. It’s not the case that fans sing the entire game. Therefore, I find the atmosphere in Germany better.
DFB.de: In your first Premier League season, you were in the starting XI 15 times and also made 15 substitute appearances. In the 2014-15 campaign, before your move at the beginning of February, you were only named in the starting line-up on five occasions. Why didn’t it continue to work out for you in London?
Schürrle: You need to look at the entire situation. I returned to London as World Champion and was a regular in the first quarter of the season. There was then a set-back because I had health problems. In addition, the team continued to play brilliantly, winning almost every game. It’s therefore difficult to immediately regain your starting berth in a team, who are performing well. I still made appearances, some from the start, and also scored goals. As such, it wasn’t a big drama.
DFB.de: How does the environment at one of the top clubs in England differ to at one of the top Bundesliga sides?
Schürrle: The environment in England is calmer. Fans and journalists aren’t able to watch training sessions so you don’t feel as if you’re being constantly observed. If something happens in training, it’s not immediately in the newspaper. That’s nice. On the other hand, it’s also nice to more contact with fans in Germany. I think that we’ve found a happy medium in the Bundesliga because there are occasionally sessions behind closed doors, which mean that you get to work in peace.
DFB.de: You signed a contract running until 2019 with Wolfsburg. Do you think it’s possible for VfL to be a championship contender soon?
Schürrle: We’ve got a fantastic team and can achieve lots. To become German Champions, however, you have to overtake Bayern. I think that they perhaps have the best squad in Europe. It therefore remains to be seen what Bayern do in the next year and how much they can improve.
DFB.de: Do you feel settled at VfL?
André Schürrle was VfL Wolfsburg’s big winter signing. After a year and a half with Chelsea, current top club in England, the 24-year-old returned to the Bundesliga. The World Champion signed on a contract running until 2019 and hopes to win the title with VfL. He could already achieve success in the DFB Cup this season. The Wolves face third-division Arminia Bielefeld in the semi-final on Wednesday (20:30 CEST). DFB.de caught up with André Schürrle to talk about the cup match, his experiences in the Premier League and Germany’s qualifying campaign for the European Championship.
DFB.de: Mr Schürrle, at first glance it appears that VfL Wolfsburg have been handed the easiest semi-final draw. However, third-division Arminia Bielefeld have already knocked out three Bundesliga sides to make it through to this stage. What do you make of the draw?
André Schürrle: From the teams still in the hat, we definitely got the easiest draw. Otherwise, we would have been up against either Bayern or Dortmund. We know, however, that Bielefeld will be tricky to beat. After all, Hertha BSC, Werder Bremen and Gladbach all lost there. We must call upon all our resources and above all, battle just as hard as our opponents. Then our quality will prevail.
DFB.de: Have you watched any of Bielefeld’s cup matches?
Schürrle: Yes, I saw the game against Gladbach. Bielefeld were good and played some nice football. Of course, the pitch is not in the best condition for teams to be able to shine.
DFB.de: I’m presuming that you’ve been warned about the playing surface.
Schürrle: We obviously know now that the pitch isn’t as good as in the Bundesliga. This is something we have to deal with.
DFB.de: How?
Schürrle: It’s not the case that we have to completely change our style of play, but we have to be wary of the fact that the ball could anywhere. It is even more important for us to fight. Bielefeld will most definitely battle hard for a result.
DFB.de: You’ve already played once before in Bielefeld in the DFB Cup. In the 2012-13 season, you and Bayer Leverkusen overcame Arminia after extra time in the second round. You scored the winning goal to secure a 3-2 victory. What memories do you have of this game?
Schürrle: It was clear to see what Bielefeld are all about. It was an incredibly tough and hard-fought game. The fans were right behind their team. The atmosphere was very good but also fiery. The match showed that you have to keep focussed right up until the final whistle.
DFB.de: On three previous occasions in your career, you’ve been knocked out of the DFB Cup by lower league opponents. In the 2009-10 season, you and 1. FSV Mainz 05 were eliminated in the first round by Regionalliga side VfB Lübeck. Why is it often so difficult against the “smaller” teams?
Schürrle: That’s a good question. Lots can happen over the course of 90 minutes. A team, who are given no chance ahead of the tie, can always record an unexpected victory. Perhaps people unwittingly underestimate the opposition or are too relaxed going into the game. Ultimately, it’s a matter of going into the match with the correct attitude. Then not much can go wrong.
DFB.de: You moved from Chelsea to Wolfsburg at the beginning of February. In your opinion, is the football played in the Bundesliga or the Premier League better?
Schürrle: It’s a lot more physical in England. The level of intensity is perhaps higher. In the Bundesliga, the football is more free-flowing. At the end of the day, it’s difficult to compare the leagues. The four, five big clubs in England certainly have access to more funds; however, the Bundesliga is certainly no worse than the Premier League with regards to quality.
DFB.de: What about the atmosphere in the stadiums?
Schürrle: It’s different. In England, people only tend to clap when something happens. It’s not the case that fans sing the entire game. Therefore, I find the atmosphere in Germany better.
DFB.de: In your first Premier League season, you were in the starting XI 15 times and also made 15 substitute appearances. In the 2014-15 campaign, before your move at the beginning of February, you were only named in the starting line-up on five occasions. Why didn’t it continue to work out for you in London?
Schürrle: You need to look at the entire situation. I returned to London as World Champion and was a regular in the first quarter of the season. There was then a set-back because I had health problems. In addition, the team continued to play brilliantly, winning almost every game. It’s therefore difficult to immediately regain your starting berth in a team, who are performing well. I still made appearances, some from the start, and also scored goals. As such, it wasn’t a big drama.
DFB.de: How does the environment at one of the top clubs in England differ to at one of the top Bundesliga sides?
Schürrle: The environment in England is calmer. Fans and journalists aren’t able to watch training sessions so you don’t feel as if you’re being constantly observed. If something happens in training, it’s not immediately in the newspaper. That’s nice. On the other hand, it’s also nice to more contact with fans in Germany. I think that we’ve found a happy medium in the Bundesliga because there are occasionally sessions behind closed doors, which mean that you get to work in peace.
DFB.de: You signed a contract running until 2019 with Wolfsburg. Do you think it’s possible for VfL to be a championship contender soon?
Schürrle: We’ve got a fantastic team and can achieve lots. To become German Champions, however, you have to overtake Bayern. I think that they perhaps have the best squad in Europe. It therefore remains to be seen what Bayern do in the next year and how much they can improve.
DFB.de: Do you feel settled at VfL?
Schürrle: Absolutely. I settled in quickly because I already knew some of the players. Now I’m just missing that final few percent out on the pitch. I didn’t play much in London before the move. I’ll get back to full fitness with more game time.
DFB.de: You’ve now been in Wolfsburg for almost three months. What do you make of things away from the football pitch?
Schürrle: I like it a lot. Wolfsburg is certainly a small city. The population is smaller and there are less options of things to do in your free time; however, we feel happy here and have found a lovely place.
DFB.de: We’ll now finish off by talking about the national team. Your Euro 2016 qualifying campaign got off to a shaky start. Following a successful World Cup, is it particularly difficult to get going again?
Schürrle: There’s certainly a link between the two events. Following such a fantastic achievement, the next season is always difficult – also physically. We felt the effects of this. We were missing quite a few regulars in the qualifiers. In addition, some players retired after the World Cup. It’s a changed team out on the pitch, which needs to find its feet and gel. Nevertheless, I’m certain that we’ll end up winning the group.
DFB.de: For the first time, the European Championship final tournament will be contested by 24 teams. What do you make of the large number of participants?
Schürrle: I think it’s good. Now even smaller teams and countries have the chance to compete at a European Championship. The tournament is bigger so teams have a longer time together. This also obviously means that we each have to play one more match. On the whole, having more participants is alright.
