Freund: Both teams have had a good start to the second half of the season. There’s an optimistic atmosphere in Dortmund at the moment but that took a bit of a hit with the loss to Juventus in the Champions League. It’s not easy for a team to balance both the Champions League and a relegation battle, which is what we saw before the winter break. Schalke have had a whole week since the game against Real to prepare themselves and recuperate. Therefore, for me they have a slight advantage. But at the end of the day it’s a derby and Dortmund are at home- and obviously that play a part.
DFB.de: How do you see it going?
Freund: Dortmund can definitely beat Schalke with the way they play but it won’t be easy due to Schalke’s defensive approach. I think that it’ll finish in a draw. I would be happy for the fans if there is an early goal and then an open game. But I can’t imagine that happening under the circumstances. A game that has seven goals, like the 5-2 in my first derby, isn’t going to happen again anytime soon.
On Saturday (15:30 CET), Borussia Dortmund meet FC Schalke 04 in the 167th Ruhr derby. Steffen Freund played in the derby on twelve occasions between 1991 and 1998, three times for the Royal Blues and nine times for BVB. The European Champion from 1996 and former DFB manager, who is now technical coordinator at Tottenham Hotspur, spoke to DFB.de in an interview about his experiences of the derby and his predictions for Saturday’s game.
DFB.de: Your first Ruhr derby was on 24th August 1991- matchday 5, Parkstadion in Gelsenkirchen. You’d recently moved to Schalke from Stahl Brandenburg at the age of 21. Had you heard about what football meant to the Ruhr region?
Steffen Freund: Yes. We’d got promoted and I was grateful that the offer to play in the Bundesliga came about. Borussia Dortmund arrived with their new manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. I can still remember the 70,000 people at the Parkstadion. I had to mark Flemming Polvsen and Frank Mill. It was an unbelievable game with unbelievable goals.
DFB.de: And it went the way of Schalke in the end…
Freund: Most definitely. We won 5-2 against the runners-up. We celebrated with the fans after the game and did a lap of honour. We were all ecstatic because we were playing in the derby again after getting promoted and we sent Dortmund home after winning 5-2.
DFB.de: You played in the Ruhr derby twelve times. Which was your best?
Freund: For Schalke, nothing could better the 5-2 win in my first ever derby. For Dortmund, we won 3-2 in the 1994/1995 title winning season, which was a great game that swung back and forth. The pressure was immense: Andreas Möller and Julio Cesar had just been bought and the team, which included Matthias Sammer, Stefan Reuter and Karl-Heinz Riedle were playing to try and win the title. I managed to make my breakthrough at Dortmund that season. I was a central midfielder and I managed to get into the national team.
DFB.de: Your first derby for BVB after moving from Schalke was in 1993. Was it also your hardest?
Freund: We lost 1-0 to Schalke. It was extremely bitter because we began that season with extremely high expectations. I moved to the favourites to win the title, we didn’t play well and neither did I. I was a judas. The first year was hard for me as I was a former Schalke player playing in Dortmund. The favourites for the title prediction backfired.
DFB.de: Do you know your derby record?
Freund: I would have to say that maybe it was positive?
DFB.de: Five wins, one draw and only two defeats. Two wins and a defeat for Schalke; three wins, five draws and one loss for Dortmund.
Freund: That's not bad. It's amazing that I've only lost twice!
DFB.de: Looking ahead, does the derby this year have particular importance?
Freund: Yes it does. Schalke are enjoying being ahead in the table at the moment. I know how it feels to always be behind your rivals. With Tottenham, we’re always behind Arsenal. At the moment the gap is becoming smaller but we’re still behind them. It gets in your head. This year, Schalke will be ahead of Dortmund in the table, no matter what the result of the derby is, which is something special.
DFB.de: Schalke have been successful with their defensive approach, whilst BVB have momentum. Do the two teams meet on a level playing field?
Freund: Both teams have had a good start to the second half of the season. There’s an optimistic atmosphere in Dortmund at the moment but that took a bit of a hit with the loss to Juventus in the Champions League. It’s not easy for a team to balance both the Champions League and a relegation battle, which is what we saw before the winter break. Schalke have had a whole week since the game against Real to prepare themselves and recuperate. Therefore, for me they have a slight advantage. But at the end of the day it’s a derby and Dortmund are at home- and obviously that play a part.
DFB.de: How do you see it going?
Freund: Dortmund can definitely beat Schalke with the way they play but it won’t be easy due to Schalke’s defensive approach. I think that it’ll finish in a draw. I would be happy for the fans if there is an early goal and then an open game. But I can’t imagine that happening under the circumstances. A game that has seven goals, like the 5-2 in my first derby, isn’t going to happen again anytime soon.
