Arne Friedrich: “I Won’t Look Back”

January 27th, 2011 | by: Anne | Comments Off

In my last post, I highlighted the triumphant return of Arne Friedrich to the Bundesliga. Arne had a great year with the NT – he defied many expectations by helping to forge a strong, solid defense for Germany. He even scored his first international goal against Argentina in the quarterfinal of the World Cup – not too shabby! Recently, he did an interview with DFB.de and strafraum of Twitter has done a full English translation, which she has kindly given me permission to post here. I found it a lovely read that reinforces my opinion that Arne will be a good guy for the NT to keep around, and I hope you enjoy it as well.

“I Won’t Look Back”

Arne Friedrich rode an emotional rollercoaster in 2010: relegation, amazing World Cup, transfer, injury. Many don’t experience that much in their entire career. Last Saturday the 31-year-old celebrated his comeback. It was his league debut for VfL Wolfsburg, 1:1, a draw. Despite that, Friedrich went as a victor from the pitch. He played as if he’d never been away and was the best man on the pitch. And surprised listeners in light of this accomplishment with the statement “I’m not at 100 percent yet.” In this team.dfb.de interview with editor Gereon Tönnihsen, Friedrich spoke about lost points, hours on the couch, their next opponent Mainz 05, and the competition in the national team.

team.dfb.de: Mr. Friedrich, if you look back on 2010, could you say that it was a footballer’s career in fast forward?
Arne Friedrich: Yes, basically everything was there, negative as well as positive highlights. From relegation with Hertha and a lot of criticism through a super World Cup to a severe injury. I don’t need that kind of year again; it was already rather turbulent. I’m happy that it’s over.
team.dfb.de: Really all that was missing last year was a title, then the full spectrum would have been covered.
Friedrich: Yeah, then it would have been complete. But being able to play at the World Cup was like a title for me, a personal one. I believe very few people counted on me after we were relegated. It was a bit of gratification for me that I could show there what I’m capable of.
team.dfb.de: Do you have the impression that, since then, you’re seen by the public in a different light?
Friedrich: Yes, sometimes I have that impression. As far as the perception in the media goes, I believe that people expect more from me. But on the street and by the fans, I’ve always been spoken to in a friendly manner.
team.dfb.de: You were injured even before the first Bundesliga match. Were you ever sidelined so long before?
Friedrich: Once I had a torn tendon sheath in my ankle, before I transferred from Bielefeld to Berlin, and I had to sit out three and a half months. That was the worst injury to date. I’d never been out as long as this time. And a slipped disc is really anything but nice. But now I feel good, and I’m not looking back.
team.dfb.de: After the operation you had to lie in bed for some time and could only move a little. How does an accomplished athlete deal with that?
Friedrich: That was honestly the most difficult part of the story. I had to lie down 90 percent of the time for five weeks after the operation. Then I put a massage table in my living room. Eventually you get saggy if you sit on the couch too long. And the couch, too. (laughs) I was allowed to walk for ten minutes twice a day. I had to minimize sitting. That was a hard time, but I went through with it, because the doctors said it was very important for the course of recovery. I was pain-free quickly. Of course I still noticed the nerve here and there; it was pinched pretty hard. But otherwise it went well.
team.dfb.de: Isn’t there a risk of wanting to do too much upon noticing that the pain’s gone?
Friedrich: Yes, definitely. I had to be slowed down and held back by the therapists in the meantime, because I felt better than I really was. A little band in my back had to grow back together, and that will only happen with rest. You just have to accept it, even if it’s difficult.
team.dfb.de: When did you start again?
Friedrich: Five weeks after the operation I started rehab, with stabilization exercises and light strength training. That was gradually increased. Two weeks before Christmas I did my first exercises with the ball. In the Pokal-match against Cottbus our coach Steve McClaren used me for the last five minutes. It was important mentally to know that you’re still a member.
team.dfb.de: How hard was it, after this impressive World Cup and all its euphoria, to suddenly land on the ground of reality and have to fight for it all over again?
Friedrich: Naturally, that was total crap. I was, honestly, a little happy that the injury didn’t happen before the World Cup, because it was important to me after that season with Hertha to be able to show what’s inside me on the big stage. It’s naturally unfortunate to come to a new club and injure yourself in training right at the beginning. But I couldn’t do anything, or change anything about it. The diagnosis and the fact that I had to undergo an operation were certain. With Professor Tonn and Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt I felt I was in the best hands, so there weren’t any problems there. I trusted them. And they intimated early on that I could get back to 100 percent fit. That was important.
team.dfb.de: Over such a long time, do you live on positive memories and experiences like the World Cup?
Friedrich: I really didn’t think much about the World Cup during my injury period. I tried to distract myself other ways. I watched the World Cup film we got once. That was brilliant. The tournament was a special event, and I’m happy I could be there. But life goes on.
team.dfb.de: What’s it like to see other people playing in the position that you filled so wonderfully in the World Cup? Holger Badstuber, Heiko Westermann, or Mats Hummels, for example?
Friedrich: I’ve had to deal with competition for years, and I’ve always said the best should play. I’m not afraid of it at all. I’ve just made a good comeback. I know what I can do. The trainer knows what he’s got in me. I said before my injury that I’d come back stronger. Now that’s happened. I’m glad for the boys. Germany can always use good players. The greater the competition is, the higher the quality of the team becomes.
team.dfb.de: Were you always so easy-going?
Friedrich: I think that comes with time, when you’ve already got a few years as a pro behind you. After 2010, not much can shock me anymore.
team.dfb.de: Were you also so calm before your Bundesliga-comeback against Bayern München last Saturday?
Friedrich: Yeah. I was happy that it was getting going. I felt good and trusted my body. Therefore there wasn’t any reason for anxiety.
team.dfb.de: Is is easier for a player who was injured for a while to come into a team where it’s not going according to plan?
Friedrich: It’s more like the other way around. When it goes according to plan, there’s self-confidence in the whole team. You profit from that when you come into the team. The fact is that we have a good preparation for the second leg in Marbella behind us, filled up with new self-confidence. Therefore the start proceeded quite orderly.
team.dfb.de: You’re considered the hope-bringer in Wolfsburg. How do you deal with this role?
Friedrich: I was the captain in Berlin for a while, and a sort of draft-horse, so I know that role already. I don’t have any problems with it.
team.dfb.de: Would you want an opponent like Bayern München for your comeback, where you know you’ll get a lot to do?
Friedrich: I asked myself earlier if that’s good or bad. In the end it went well, that’s what counts. I couldn’t choose for myself, anyway.
team.dfb.de: You said before the match that you weren’t back to 100 percent yet. Your effort was still strong. What’s still missing, then?
Friedrich: I noticed in the last 20 minutes that my energy faded. In that area I’m sure I can improve, but that’s completely normal. One thing is also clear: it’s always possible that after such a long injury setbacks which affect energy or form can occur. I hope that through training I can compensate. But I’d also be relatively calm if there was a match that didn’t go so well.
team.dfb.de: Captain Edin Dzeko left the club in winter. How can you compensate for this departure?
Friedrich: Through closeness as a team. There were whispers and discussions from the beginning of the season about whether he’d go or not. Maybe it’s good that he’s gone. Naturally we’ve lost some quality, but we have to make up for it together. And I believe we can do it. It’s similar to the loss of Michael Ballack before the World Cup. There we compensated as a team for this severe loss and played a successful World Cup.
team.dfb.de: Do you talk about that with your colleagues in Wolfsburg?
Friedrich: Definitely. I believe we can do a very good job, that we’ve prepared optimally. So we have to simply keep going. We know that this season hasn’t gone as we wished. It doesn’t do any good to look back. We can’t change anything, so instead we should look forward.
team.dfb.de: Then first look to Mainz, your opponent this weekend. The 05er stand in the top flight, well ahead of Wolfsburg. Are they, then, the favorites?
Friedrich: On paper, we’re outsiders, clearly. But I believe, if you look at our line-up, we can win the match. But we have to call up our full potential.
team.dfb.de: Mainz surprised a lot of people at the beginning of the season. You too?
Friedrich: Definitely. I’d be lying if I said differently. You have to say as well that Mainz stands on top deservedly. They play well-structured football that clearly carries Thomas Tuchel’s signature. The match concept with quick changes is somewhat reminiscent of the national team.
team.dfb.de: In the first-leg match, Wolfsburg led at home with 3:0, but lost at the end with 3:4. What do you remember about that?
Friedrich: I watched that from my sickbed. I’d just had my operation. That was naturally a horror, a shock. After the 3:0 I thought about whether I might do something different. And then something like that happens. We left those points behind through our own stupidity. We want to get them back.
team.dfb.de: With what goals and expectations did you start 2011?
Friedrich: First and foremost it’s my goal to remain healthy. That’s very important for me. Everything else comes from myself. In the national team my main goal is the EURO 2012. I’ll work toward that goal with hopefully good benefits for VfL Wolfsburg.