Interview
Waldemar Anton: "Everyone has given me a good feeling"
Waldemar Anton on his move to BVB:
"We had an incredible season in Stuttgart and made history. Of course it was a difficult decision, but everyone at BVB made me feel very comfortable and the coach expressed a lot of trust in me. In the end, it was made easy for me. I listened to my gut feeling and I'm very happy to be here and be successful with BVB."
…his first impressions:
"Everyone in the team has welcomed me with open arms. Fortunately I already know a few of the players, which makes it easier for me to feel at home here. Everyone has embraced the system we want to play and is very happy with the way we are doing things at the moment. Now we have to train in every session so that we can perform at the top level in games."
…the many fans at training:
"It's not new for me, but this is a notch up. There are a fair few more fans here to sign autographs for. But that's all part of it, it's fun. A bit of contact with the fans is always good, it's nice to hear from them and get to know what makes them tick. It's also something special for the fans."
…the fight for places in central defence:
"Competition is always good, that's the only way to get the best out of yourself. You can never rest, not even in training, because there's always someone who wants to be better. That pushes all three of us. In Niki and Schlotti, we have centre-backs of an incredible calibre. We'll have so many games in the season, we'll need every one of us. I'm a very ambitious guy and I always want to play."
…the job of a centre back:
"With our game plan, we want to play good football and get into the final third with few touches. But we don't just need the centre-backs to build the game, we need everyone. It will be a system in which every player has to be there, has to have the right spacing to get into the final third. That's what the coach expects and that's what we're working on every day in training."
…his role in the team:
"I won't change anything I've done in the last few years. If I see something that needs to be addressed, I will address it. I'm not the type to hide, even though I'm new. I know a lot of guys from the national team or from before, so that makes it easier. But we also have a top squad in that respect. Everyone is willing to let others talk and everyone listens. I've already noticed that you can communicate well with everyone."
Transcribed by Christina Reinke