Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger talks about life in the British Isles, about his three European Championships and the excitement ahead of his fourth, about Christmas in England and about a statistic of great importance to him.
DFB.de: If you compare Christmas in Munich to Christmas in Manchester, how big are the differences? And which similarities are there?
Schweinsteiger: I have noticed two similarities: There’s a Christmas market in Manchester as well as in Munich. Aside from that, both cities have been a snow-free zone this December (laughs). I’ve not felt homesick yet, maybe that’s still to come, but at the moment my focus on the tasks ahead are outweighing any nostalgia for the mountains in Bavaria.
DFB.de: In England, in the days leading up to Christmas and then in the days directly after there are a lot of games. How do you feel about this?
Schweinsteiger: I actually like the idea of a busy game schedule around Christmas. I’ve always been the kind of player who prefers playing in a match to training. The intensity of the Premier League is very high, which is definitely something that suits me. Next year I’ll be able to express my opinion on the matter properly. Ask me again next year!
DFB.de: You lived in Bavaria for 31 years. Do you ever wake up in Manchester and struggle to believe that you’re not in Munich?
Schweinsteiger: That’s not happened yet, no. I always enjoy living in the moment, it’s all about the here and now. Manchester is a perfect experience for me, not just in terms of my career. Bayern München, the Germany national team and Manchester United, those are my three teams. If someone had told me 16 years ago that this would be the case, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.
DFB.de: Do you feel settled now after six months in Manchester?
Schweinsteiger: Yes, absolutely. It happens very quickly in football, because you are quickly thrown into day-to-day life. I also love Manchester in terms of my private life, there’s lots of nice people here, good restaurants etc. I’m happy here.
DFB.de: How big a relief is it for your ears to be away from Thomas Müller?
Schweinsteiger: (laughs) I was only having a laugh. Those who are familiar with "Radio Müller" know what I meant by that. Being apart has made it all the better when we do see each other. We’ve experienced a lot together, after all.
DFB.de: Premier League football is known for being very fast and physical - can you confirm this?
Schweinsteiger: It is extremely physical. It suits me. Even the teams in the bottom third of the table push you all the way. The quality of football is a lot more balanced. And the crowd always spur you on going forward.
DFB.de: Did you have to change your game?
Schweinsteiger: I was familiar with Louis van Gaal’s style of play. I played under him at Bayern München. I may be quite experienced, but I’m still young enough to adapt to new things. As a team, we’re going through a re-building phase and we’ll have to see how far we can get this season. Our position in the league is okay, but obviously the Champions League was a huge disappointment.
DFB.de: You left behind the surroundings you were so familiar with, and perhaps even your comfort zone. Since moving to Manchester have you discovered new things about your personality?
Schweinsteiger: Yes, I wanted to take this step because it felt like the right move. The chance came at the right time. I wanted to experience football abroad. I’m motivated by the opportunity to help build something here. It was the same with Bayern, the same with Germany and hopefully it will be the same with Manchester United. Old Trafford won me over as well, the fans, the atmosphere - it's really something special.
DFB.de: After the World Cup you inherited the captain’s armband from Philipp Lahm. What has this changed for you in the World Cup winning team?
Schweinsteiger: Not that much really. It’s a huge honour and responsibility to wear it, but I hope I carry on behaving as I did before. It’s a bit more to do, but that’s just part of it.
DFB.de: As captain, have you been in any unexpected situations?
Schweinsteiger: Not yet, but I hope positive surprises await me.
DFB.de: What grade would you give the European Championship qualifying campaign?
Schweinsteiger: I’d give it a B. It was tough at times, but we got the job done well in the end, and qualified for the finals as group winners.
DFB.de: Can you win the Championship with a B?
Schweinsteiger: Just ask Franz Beckenbauer how he qualified for the 1990 World Cup. That was only secured in the final game as well. Our preparations for the tournament will be make or break this time. The finals themselves have very little to do with the qualifiers, unless of course you don’t qualify (laughs).
DFB.de: What effect has the World Cup title had on the team in terms of playing football? Does it encourage you, are you more confident? Or has it become more difficult because the oppositions are more motivated against the world champions?
Schweinsteiger: For every opposition this is the game - playing against the reigning world champions. This always used to be the case at Bayern München, and now at United as well. I see it as an incentive to live up to the high expectations. Plus it gives us confidence as a team knowing that we’ve achieved something big together.
DFB.de: You’re on the cusp of your fourth EUROs and could overtake the record number of appearances in the competition, which is currently held by Lilian Thuram and Edwin van der Sar with 16. Do the stats mean much to you?
Schweinsteiger: I wasn’t aware of that to be honest. I don’t really think about stats. It’s all about winning games and tournaments.
DFB.de: Your first appearance in the tournament came in 2004. What memories do you have from Portugal?
Schweinsteiger: As a young player it was a fantastic experience, even though we got knocked out in the first round without a win. In that regard, it wasn’t a memorable affair.
DFB.de: And what of 2008? You got sent off against Croatia and were made a bit of a scapegoat but became a hero later on in the competition…
Schweinsteiger: I’m still thankful that Michael Ballack scored against Austria, as it meant I had a second chance to help the team.
DFB.de: You scored and created two more in the quarterfinal against Portugal that year. Was that your best international?
Schweinsteiger: It was a good game, but at the end of the day we lost the final. Playing for Bayern and Germany has taught me that it’s hard to have positive memories without success.
DFB.de: You reached the final in 2008 but were knocked out in the semis during the 2012 edition. Do you think you were closer to winning that tournament, even though you got knocked out earlier?
Schweinsteiger: The fact of the matter is we came away empty handed on both occasions. We were more mature in 2012 but had a bad day against Italy. That’s football though.
DFB.de: Three tournaments, no title. Do you still have unfinished business with the EUROs?
Schweinsteiger: I’d be lying if I said that didn’t motivate me. However, the past doesn’t really count for much as we have different players. We’ll do all we can to lift the title, but I can’t say much more than that to be honest. We’re the World Champions and have big goals – but thing don’t always go to plan.
DFB.de: Have the events in Paris influenced your excitement for the tournament?
Schweinsteiger: It’s not the sort of thing that you’ll forget quickly, obviously. However, we’re still looking forward to it. After the events I heard that a security guard stopped the attacker from getting into the stadium. He’s a real hero. We’re just footballers.
created by mmc/dw&mb
Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger talks about life in the British Isles, about his three European Championships and the excitement ahead of his fourth, about Christmas in England and about a statistic of great importance to him.
DFB.de: If you compare Christmas in Munich to Christmas in Manchester, how big are the differences? And which similarities are there?
Schweinsteiger: I have noticed two similarities: There’s a Christmas market in Manchester as well as in Munich. Aside from that, both cities have been a snow-free zone this December (laughs). I’ve not felt homesick yet, maybe that’s still to come, but at the moment my focus on the tasks ahead are outweighing any nostalgia for the mountains in Bavaria.
DFB.de: In England, in the days leading up to Christmas and then in the days directly after there are a lot of games. How do you feel about this?
Schweinsteiger: I actually like the idea of a busy game schedule around Christmas. I’ve always been the kind of player who prefers playing in a match to training. The intensity of the Premier League is very high, which is definitely something that suits me. Next year I’ll be able to express my opinion on the matter properly. Ask me again next year!
DFB.de: You lived in Bavaria for 31 years. Do you ever wake up in Manchester and struggle to believe that you’re not in Munich?
Schweinsteiger: That’s not happened yet, no. I always enjoy living in the moment, it’s all about the here and now. Manchester is a perfect experience for me, not just in terms of my career. Bayern München, the Germany national team and Manchester United, those are my three teams. If someone had told me 16 years ago that this would be the case, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.
DFB.de: Do you feel settled now after six months in Manchester?
Schweinsteiger: Yes, absolutely. It happens very quickly in football, because you are quickly thrown into day-to-day life. I also love Manchester in terms of my private life, there’s lots of nice people here, good restaurants etc. I’m happy here.
DFB.de: How big a relief is it for your ears to be away from Thomas Müller?
Schweinsteiger: (laughs) I was only having a laugh. Those who are familiar with "Radio Müller" know what I meant by that. Being apart has made it all the better when we do see each other. We’ve experienced a lot together, after all.
DFB.de: Premier League football is known for being very fast and physical - can you confirm this?
Schweinsteiger: It is extremely physical. It suits me. Even the teams in the bottom third of the table push you all the way. The quality of football is a lot more balanced. And the crowd always spur you on going forward.
DFB.de: Did you have to change your game?
Schweinsteiger: I was familiar with Louis van Gaal’s style of play. I played under him at Bayern München. I may be quite experienced, but I’m still young enough to adapt to new things. As a team, we’re going through a re-building phase and we’ll have to see how far we can get this season. Our position in the league is okay, but obviously the Champions League was a huge disappointment.
DFB.de: You left behind the surroundings you were so familiar with, and perhaps even your comfort zone. Since moving to Manchester have you discovered new things about your personality?
Schweinsteiger: Yes, I wanted to take this step because it felt like the right move. The chance came at the right time. I wanted to experience football abroad. I’m motivated by the opportunity to help build something here. It was the same with Bayern, the same with Germany and hopefully it will be the same with Manchester United. Old Trafford won me over as well, the fans, the atmosphere - it's really something special.
DFB.de: After the World Cup you inherited the captain’s armband from Philipp Lahm. What has this changed for you in the World Cup winning team?
Schweinsteiger: Not that much really. It’s a huge honour and responsibility to wear it, but I hope I carry on behaving as I did before. It’s a bit more to do, but that’s just part of it.
DFB.de: As captain, have you been in any unexpected situations?
Schweinsteiger: Not yet, but I hope positive surprises await me.
DFB.de: What grade would you give the European Championship qualifying campaign?
Schweinsteiger: I’d give it a B. It was tough at times, but we got the job done well in the end, and qualified for the finals as group winners.
DFB.de: Can you win the Championship with a B?
Schweinsteiger: Just ask Franz Beckenbauer how he qualified for the 1990 World Cup. That was only secured in the final game as well. Our preparations for the tournament will be make or break this time. The finals themselves have very little to do with the qualifiers, unless of course you don’t qualify (laughs).
DFB.de: What effect has the World Cup title had on the team in terms of playing football? Does it encourage you, are you more confident? Or has it become more difficult because the oppositions are more motivated against the world champions?
Schweinsteiger: For every opposition this is the game - playing against the reigning world champions. This always used to be the case at Bayern München, and now at United as well. I see it as an incentive to live up to the high expectations. Plus it gives us confidence as a team knowing that we’ve achieved something big together.
DFB.de: You’re on the cusp of your fourth EUROs and could overtake the record number of appearances in the competition, which is currently held by Lilian Thuram and Edwin van der Sar with 16. Do the stats mean much to you?
Schweinsteiger: I wasn’t aware of that to be honest. I don’t really think about stats. It’s all about winning games and tournaments.
DFB.de: Your first appearance in the tournament came in 2004. What memories do you have from Portugal?
Schweinsteiger: As a young player it was a fantastic experience, even though we got knocked out in the first round without a win. In that regard, it wasn’t a memorable affair.
DFB.de: And what of 2008? You got sent off against Croatia and were made a bit of a scapegoat but became a hero later on in the competition…
Schweinsteiger: I’m still thankful that Michael Ballack scored against Austria, as it meant I had a second chance to help the team.
DFB.de: You scored and created two more in the quarterfinal against Portugal that year. Was that your best international?
Schweinsteiger: It was a good game, but at the end of the day we lost the final. Playing for Bayern and Germany has taught me that it’s hard to have positive memories without success.
DFB.de: You reached the final in 2008 but were knocked out in the semis during the 2012 edition. Do you think you were closer to winning that tournament, even though you got knocked out earlier?
Schweinsteiger: The fact of the matter is we came away empty handed on both occasions. We were more mature in 2012 but had a bad day against Italy. That’s football though.
DFB.de: Three tournaments, no title. Do you still have unfinished business with the EUROs?
Schweinsteiger: I’d be lying if I said that didn’t motivate me. However, the past doesn’t really count for much as we have different players. We’ll do all we can to lift the title, but I can’t say much more than that to be honest. We’re the World Champions and have big goals – but thing don’t always go to plan.
DFB.de: Have the events in Paris influenced your excitement for the tournament?
Schweinsteiger: It’s not the sort of thing that you’ll forget quickly, obviously. However, we’re still looking forward to it. After the events I heard that a security guard stopped the attacker from getting into the stadium. He’s a real hero. We’re just footballers.
