DFB.de: You were marking Neymar in the final. What was that like?
Toljan: You could see when he scored his goal and during various other moments that he possesses that bit of extra class. He isn’t one of the best players in the world without a reason. Brazil’s game was geared towards him. These type of players also have a lot of confidence and simply believe they can pull of anything on the pitch. He is quick, technically skilled and has a great understanding for the game. For the most part though, we managed to contain him quite well.
DFB.de: The U21 European Championships take place in June. How do you rate the teams’ current form, after two victories and two defeats from their last four friendly matches?
Toljan: We had a lot of experiments during these friendlies. We have to wait and see which players will be available. The EURO’s will definitely be a benchmark for us, but Germany are always among the favourites during big tournaments. It won’t be any different this time around.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are one of the surprise teams of this Bundesliga season, as they will definitely end the campaign amongst the top four teams. On matchday 32 they face off with direct opponents Borussia Dortmund. Germany U21 international Jeremy Toljan has made 14 starting line-up appearances this season, playing a key role in Hoffenheim’s rise.
In this exclusive interview on DFB.de with Oliver Jensen, the 22-year-old talks about the encounter with BVB, the upcoming U21 European Championships and world star Neymar.
DFB.de: Mr. Toljan, according to your coach Julian Nagelsmann Dortmund have all the pressure today. What do you think?
Jeremy Toljan: I see it the same way. We all look forward to the game of course, but you can’t really call it a final. There are still two games to be played afterwards, which we’ll have to win as well before anything is certain. Nonetheless, it’s an important and interesting match-up, that we can hopefully decide for ourselves.
DFB.de: Your first encounter this season ended in a 2-2 draw. What do you remember form that match?
Toljan: It was an intense game with lots of quality. Both teams had many good attacking moves. With a bit of luck we might’ve won the game. But Dortmund simply has a lot of quality in their team and it was definitely not an easy match.
DFB.de: What teams are you hoping to face if Hoffenheim manages to qualify for the Champions League?
Toljan: We haven’t qualified yet. But I generally enjoy watching the Spanish league. Games with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are always a big highlight.
DFB.de: Last season you played against relegation and now you will certainly finish in the top four. How can you explain this swift transformation?
Toljan: We made good improvements to our squad before the season and found a new system that works really well for us. Our coach was able to use pre-season to implement his ideas better. Our training sessions are more demanding. And the content of our training sessions are somewhat different.
DFB.de: Is it different getting along with a coach who is the same age as your team mates? His predecessors Huub Stevens and Markus Gisdol are practically form a different generation.
Toljan: For us players age is not important, but the ideas of a coach. In that regard he connected with us well.
DFB.de: You have a Croatian mother and your father is from the United States, but you were born in Germany. Did you always know that you wanted to play for the DFB Team?
Toljan: Yes. I grew up here and I feel like a German. There were some discussions with the other football associations, but it never became concrete.
DFB.de: You’ve risen through the ranks of the international youth teams and last year you took part in the Olympic Games. What are your memories from that time?
Toljan: I still enjoy thinking back on that team. We hadn’t played together often in that constellation. No one was really expecting us to do well. But we managed to get into the final. Our games were a real highlight. Knockout matches and tournaments are always something special, especially in a football-crazy country like Brazil. The atmosphere in the stadium was world class.
DFB.de: You were marking Neymar in the final. What was that like?
Toljan: You could see when he scored his goal and during various other moments that he possesses that bit of extra class. He isn’t one of the best players in the world without a reason. Brazil’s game was geared towards him. These type of players also have a lot of confidence and simply believe they can pull of anything on the pitch. He is quick, technically skilled and has a great understanding for the game. For the most part though, we managed to contain him quite well.
DFB.de: The U21 European Championships take place in June. How do you rate the teams’ current form, after two victories and two defeats from their last four friendly matches?
Toljan: We had a lot of experiments during these friendlies. We have to wait and see which players will be available. The EURO’s will definitely be a benchmark for us, but Germany are always among the favourites during big tournaments. It won’t be any different this time around.
