For Werder attacker Anthony Ujah, the DFB Cup game against 1. FC Köln on Wednesday is a meeting with old friends. The 25-year-old transferred to Bremen over the summer from Köln, where the Nigeria international scored 34 league goals and played a key role as they were promoted to the Bundesliga in 2014 and stayed up the following season. He's settled in well at Werder, scoring two goals in Saturday's 3-1 win at 1. FSV Mainz 05. He has four goals to his name after ten games this season, and he sat down with DFB.de's Oliver Jensen to discuss his impressions of his former side and his reasons for joining Werder.
DFB.de: Mr Ujah, what were your first thoughts when you drew your former side 1. FC Köln in the DFB Cup?
Anthony Ujah: At first I was surprised, albeit happy. I'm looking forward to the game and to seeing the boys again. I had a very good time in Cologne, but the only important thing for me now is that we win the game.
DFB.de: What's your impression of 1. FC Köln?
Ujah: They have a good team and a good manager. They don't allow many goalscoring chances and don't give their opponents much space to play. If you don't stay alert, they'll catch you on the break. I'm pleased with the way they've started the season, and I will always have a strong connection with the team.
DFb.de: So do you still stay in touch with your old teammates?
Ujah: Yes, I keep in contact with Kevin Vogt, Mergim Mavraj and Yannick Gerhardt, for example. I had three great years in Cologne, and friendships from there have remained.
DFB.de: You speak very highly of your former team. Why did you move to Bremen?
Ujah: After three years, it was just time for something new. I also had the choice to go abroad, with offers from the Middle East and Russia, for example. However, I'm not a footballer who only sees the money. I wanted to stay in Germany and have a successful career here. I'm not done here yet. When the offer from Werder came, I asked around a lot of people, and nobody had anything negative to say about them. I'm very happy to be here now.
DFB.de: Your transfer wasn't received very well in Cologne when a photo of you that said "100 per cent Werder" surfaced. At this point, you were still under contract to Köln.
Ujah: It was a tough time for me. I didn't expect that the reaction would be so negative. There may be a lot of footballers who don't care what others think of them, but I'm not one of them. It was important for me that the people in Cologne didn't get the wrong impression of me. I wanted to make a decision early on so that it would be easier for everyone.
DFB.de: How does day-to-day life in Bremen differ from in Cologne?
Ujah: At Köln the media and the press are a lot more intense. I had to live with that in my three years there. If I ever went a few games without scoring I could feel the pressure and expectations increase.
DFB.de: So what’s special about Bremen?
Ujah: The connection between the fans and the club is even bigger here. Everywhere you look there is something to do with Werder. Everyone loves the club here. Everyone recognises you in the street, even the young children. That shows just how big this club is. Obviously 1. FC Köln also means a hell of a lot to the people of Cologne. But in Bremen the Werder-mania is a lot more present throughout the city.
DFB.de: Let’s talk a little about your remarkable career: You grew up in Nigeria and played football there until you were 20. Was it always your dream to play in Europe?
Ujah: That seemed a long way away for me back then. When you spend your childhood playing football in the streets of Nigeria you dream only of playing for Nigerian Premier League teams. I was extremely lucky it worked out so well and so quickly for me in Europe.”
DFB.de: At first you went to Norway, tried out at Lillestrom SK and went on to sign a contract.
Ujah: That’s right. There was an agent who scouted players from Nigeria for the Norwegian leagues. That’s how I ended up there. In all honesty, if I were still playing in Norway today I would be more than happy. For someone who used to play bare foot in Africa, football in Norway is a dream in itself. Making it all the more surreal that I’ve just started my fifth season in Germany.
DFB.de: How difficult was it for you to acclimatise to the European way of life?
Ujah: The food and the weather were a bit of a culture shock. I came to Norway in January. In Nigeria temperatures were reaching 50 degrees (Celsius). I’d never even seen snow before then, and all of a sudden I was having to play football in it.
DFB.de: You weren’t picked for the Nigerian national side in the last international break. Were you disappointed with this?
Ujah: Obviously I would have loved to have been part of it. But there are a lot of talented Nigerian footballers playing in Europe. I’m proud to have been able to play for the national side at all. If I play well in Bremen, I’ll definitely keep getting chances to play for Nigeria.
created by mmc/ac & dw
For Werder attacker Anthony Ujah, the DFB Cup game against 1. FC Köln on Wednesday is a meeting with old friends. The 25-year-old transferred to Bremen over the summer from Köln, where the Nigeria international scored 34 league goals and played a key role as they were promoted to the Bundesliga in 2014 and stayed up the following season. He's settled in well at Werder, scoring two goals in Saturday's 3-1 win at 1. FSV Mainz 05. He has four goals to his name after ten games this season, and he sat down with DFB.de's Oliver Jensen to discuss his impressions of his former side and his reasons for joining Werder.
DFB.de: Mr Ujah, what were your first thoughts when you drew your former side 1. FC Köln in the DFB Cup?
Anthony Ujah: At first I was surprised, albeit happy. I'm looking forward to the game and to seeing the boys again. I had a very good time in Cologne, but the only important thing for me now is that we win the game.
DFB.de: What's your impression of 1. FC Köln?
Ujah: They have a good team and a good manager. They don't allow many goalscoring chances and don't give their opponents much space to play. If you don't stay alert, they'll catch you on the break. I'm pleased with the way they've started the season, and I will always have a strong connection with the team.
DFb.de: So do you still stay in touch with your old teammates?
Ujah: Yes, I keep in contact with Kevin Vogt, Mergim Mavraj and Yannick Gerhardt, for example. I had three great years in Cologne, and friendships from there have remained.
DFB.de: You speak very highly of your former team. Why did you move to Bremen?
Ujah: After three years, it was just time for something new. I also had the choice to go abroad, with offers from the Middle East and Russia, for example. However, I'm not a footballer who only sees the money. I wanted to stay in Germany and have a successful career here. I'm not done here yet. When the offer from Werder came, I asked around a lot of people, and nobody had anything negative to say about them. I'm very happy to be here now.
DFB.de: Your transfer wasn't received very well in Cologne when a photo of you that said "100 per cent Werder" surfaced. At this point, you were still under contract to Köln.
Ujah: It was a tough time for me. I didn't expect that the reaction would be so negative. There may be a lot of footballers who don't care what others think of them, but I'm not one of them. It was important for me that the people in Cologne didn't get the wrong impression of me. I wanted to make a decision early on so that it would be easier for everyone.
DFB.de: How does day-to-day life in Bremen differ from in Cologne?
Ujah: At Köln the media and the press are a lot more intense. I had to live with that in my three years there. If I ever went a few games without scoring I could feel the pressure and expectations increase.
DFB.de: So what’s special about Bremen?
Ujah: The connection between the fans and the club is even bigger here. Everywhere you look there is something to do with Werder. Everyone loves the club here. Everyone recognises you in the street, even the young children. That shows just how big this club is. Obviously 1. FC Köln also means a hell of a lot to the people of Cologne. But in Bremen the Werder-mania is a lot more present throughout the city.
DFB.de: Let’s talk a little about your remarkable career: You grew up in Nigeria and played football there until you were 20. Was it always your dream to play in Europe?
Ujah: That seemed a long way away for me back then. When you spend your childhood playing football in the streets of Nigeria you dream only of playing for Nigerian Premier League teams. I was extremely lucky it worked out so well and so quickly for me in Europe.”
DFB.de: At first you went to Norway, tried out at Lillestrom SK and went on to sign a contract.
Ujah: That’s right. There was an agent who scouted players from Nigeria for the Norwegian leagues. That’s how I ended up there. In all honesty, if I were still playing in Norway today I would be more than happy. For someone who used to play bare foot in Africa, football in Norway is a dream in itself. Making it all the more surreal that I’ve just started my fifth season in Germany.
DFB.de: How difficult was it for you to acclimatise to the European way of life?
Ujah: The food and the weather were a bit of a culture shock. I came to Norway in January. In Nigeria temperatures were reaching 50 degrees (Celsius). I’d never even seen snow before then, and all of a sudden I was having to play football in it.
DFB.de: You weren’t picked for the Nigerian national side in the last international break. Were you disappointed with this?
Ujah: Obviously I would have loved to have been part of it. But there are a lot of talented Nigerian footballers playing in Europe. I’m proud to have been able to play for the national side at all. If I play well in Bremen, I’ll definitely keep getting chances to play for Nigeria.
