Nine years ago was the last time Bayer Leverkusen were in the DFB Pokal final – two years ago was their last appearance in the quarterfinals. On both occasions, the Werkself were beaten by Werder Bremen. On Tuesday, Julian Brandt and his teammates will want to put things right: "We want revenge," said Julian in an exclusive interview with DFB.de. The Germany international also spoke about the DFB Pokal’s significance, his team’s chances against Werder and his potential involvement at the World Cup this summer
DFB.de: Julian Brandt, let’s begin with a bit of a quiz. How often have Leverkusen been in the quarterfinals in the last five years?
Julian Brandt: I’ll have to think for a second, I’ve not been with the club for five years. I’ve definitely played in the quarterfinals once, maybe there was another occasion?
DFB.de: The Werkself have been in the last eight four times.
Brandt: That’s not bad.
DFB.de: Also for the fourth time, the quarterfinal tie is at home. The bad news is that the last three at home were defeats. It’s about time the curse of the quarterfinal was broken, isn’t it?
Brandt: That would be good for us yes (laughs). We’re having a good season in the cup so far, especially with last season’s experience (Leverkusen were knocked out by third-tier Sportfreunde Lotte) we really had a lot to put right. We didn’t want another early exit – a lot can happen in this competition: our first game against Karlsruhe (3-0) was tiring, but we enjoyed it. The 4-1 win against Union Berlin was an excellent performance in front of our fans. The 1-0 win over Gladbach in the Last 16 was less of a spectacle from our side, but in the end we got through with a bit of luck. It’s not easy to win a DFB Pokal game because different rules apply in the cup – with that bit of luck, anything can be achieved.
DFB.de: On Tuesday, Werder come to Leverkusen. What do you make of your opponents?
Brandt: You can’t judge them by their position in the Bundesliga table; that means nothing in the cup. The cup games are a level playing field, a fresh start for everyone. Our manager talks about playing for life or death: when you’re knocked out, there’s no putting it right. We’ve not had great experiences with Werder in recent years, but it’s good to be at home, in Bremen it would be that bit more difficult. We should try and make the home advantage count this time, we learn from our mistakes – two years ago we deserved to be knocked out by Bremen. We want revenge this year.
DFB.de: Do you have any recollection of the final between both teams in 2009?
Brandt: Yes, I was watching on the TV in Berlin. Werder won 1-0, Mesut Özil scored the goal. For my family, born in Bremen, it was a great day. Since I had no affiliation to Leverkusen at that point, I was also happy. This year, it would make me happy if we made the final.
DFB.de: As you said, you were born in Bremen, but Werder is not on your CV. Was the club never an option?
Brandt: It was an option, but nothing came of it. There were a lot of opportunities for me as a youth player. I could have stayed living in Bremen or joined another club. Wolfsburg’s overall offer was more appealing to me, and the two years I spent there were very important for my career. I made great progress there, it was a good decision.
DFB.de: The World Cup is coming up this summer. You know the country from playing at the Confed Cup, you’ve got tournament experience – played at the Olympic Games as well. Is the World Cup your big goal?
Brandt: Of course. Playing at the World Cup is something very special for every player. It’s a childhood dream as well, but you can’t just focus on these dreams and goals, if there are other ones as well. The league campaign and my club are taking priority at the moment. So long as the season is still going, you shouldn’t dwell on other things. Obviously the World Cup is in the back of my mind, that’s normal, but I prefer to take things one step at a time.
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Nine years ago was the last time Bayer Leverkusen were in the DFB Pokal final – two years ago was their last appearance in the quarterfinals. On both occasions, the Werkself were beaten by Werder Bremen. On Tuesday, Julian Brandt and his teammates will want to put things right: "We want revenge," said Julian in an exclusive interview with DFB.de. The Germany international also spoke about the DFB Pokal’s significance, his team’s chances against Werder and his potential involvement at the World Cup this summer
DFB.de: Julian Brandt, let’s begin with a bit of a quiz. How often have Leverkusen been in the quarterfinals in the last five years?
Julian Brandt: I’ll have to think for a second, I’ve not been with the club for five years. I’ve definitely played in the quarterfinals once, maybe there was another occasion?
DFB.de: The Werkself have been in the last eight four times.
Brandt: That’s not bad.
DFB.de: Also for the fourth time, the quarterfinal tie is at home. The bad news is that the last three at home were defeats. It’s about time the curse of the quarterfinal was broken, isn’t it?
Brandt: That would be good for us yes (laughs). We’re having a good season in the cup so far, especially with last season’s experience (Leverkusen were knocked out by third-tier Sportfreunde Lotte) we really had a lot to put right. We didn’t want another early exit – a lot can happen in this competition: our first game against Karlsruhe (3-0) was tiring, but we enjoyed it. The 4-1 win against Union Berlin was an excellent performance in front of our fans. The 1-0 win over Gladbach in the Last 16 was less of a spectacle from our side, but in the end we got through with a bit of luck. It’s not easy to win a DFB Pokal game because different rules apply in the cup – with that bit of luck, anything can be achieved.
DFB.de: On Tuesday, Werder come to Leverkusen. What do you make of your opponents?
Brandt: You can’t judge them by their position in the Bundesliga table; that means nothing in the cup. The cup games are a level playing field, a fresh start for everyone. Our manager talks about playing for life or death: when you’re knocked out, there’s no putting it right. We’ve not had great experiences with Werder in recent years, but it’s good to be at home, in Bremen it would be that bit more difficult. We should try and make the home advantage count this time, we learn from our mistakes – two years ago we deserved to be knocked out by Bremen. We want revenge this year.
DFB.de: Do you have any recollection of the final between both teams in 2009?
Brandt: Yes, I was watching on the TV in Berlin. Werder won 1-0, Mesut Özil scored the goal. For my family, born in Bremen, it was a great day. Since I had no affiliation to Leverkusen at that point, I was also happy. This year, it would make me happy if we made the final.
DFB.de: As you said, you were born in Bremen, but Werder is not on your CV. Was the club never an option?
Brandt: It was an option, but nothing came of it. There were a lot of opportunities for me as a youth player. I could have stayed living in Bremen or joined another club. Wolfsburg’s overall offer was more appealing to me, and the two years I spent there were very important for my career. I made great progress there, it was a good decision.
DFB.de: The World Cup is coming up this summer. You know the country from playing at the Confed Cup, you’ve got tournament experience – played at the Olympic Games as well. Is the World Cup your big goal?
Brandt: Of course. Playing at the World Cup is something very special for every player. It’s a childhood dream as well, but you can’t just focus on these dreams and goals, if there are other ones as well. The league campaign and my club are taking priority at the moment. So long as the season is still going, you shouldn’t dwell on other things. Obviously the World Cup is in the back of my mind, that’s normal, but I prefer to take things one step at a time.
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DFB.de: You’ve got competition within the squad as well. Kevin Volland is also an attacking player dreaming of the World Cup.
Brandt: I don’t see Kevin as competition here at the club. We have a team full of ability and there are no feelings of envy. If Kevin has a great end to the season and makes it into the Germany World Cup squad, we at the club will be the first to congratulate him. It would be the same the other way round. If, in the end, two or three of us are heading to Russia, we’ll be all the more happy. We don’t achieve our goals individually, but as a team.
DFB.de: What is your status with the national team? With 13 caps, do you feel like an established member of the squad?
Brandt: You always have to prove yourself; the squad is very big. We have a lot of great footballers in Germany with the quality to be in the starting XI, including a lot of the 2014 champions. I don’t see myself as an established player, I’ve not been around for long enough yet, but I do feel part of the team. I feel comfortable in the squad and get along with the others well.
DFB.de: What do you still need to work on? Do you need to improve your goal threat?
Brandt: That’s one of my aims. I work on it a lot in training, not just with the national team but also at Leverkusen. I think I’m on the right track.
DFB.de: What do make of Germany’s World Cup group?
Brandt: We’ll be up against a number of different cultures. In terms of the strength of the opposition, it could have been harder for Germany. But to be honest, I have to say that I haven’t really though about the group too much. If I get called up, I’ll look forward to facing Mexico and South Korea particularly, because I have played with Chicharito from Mexico and Hyeung-Min Son from South Korea. That would be nice.
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