I am Borusse and this will never change

In the third and last part of the big schwatzgelb-Interview, Nuri Sahin is talking about the derby, his heart, the tradition of Borussia and his personal future.

schwatzgelb: We have talked about the fans and the derby. What does Borussia mean to you? You are always talking about “my club”, how do you embody this? In addition, you’ve made a motivating gesture directed to our block before the last derby. After your goal, you directly ran to the block filled with guest fans. As a supporter, you always dream of that, but it isn’t the normal case. What was going through your head at that time?

Nuri Sahin: I wanted nothing more than the derby victory, of course. I grew up in the youth teams of Borussia, played derbies in the junior teams and I know what it is about. Borussia is my club, I can only underline that. Mats is always smiling about me saying it’s my club so often, but it actually is my club and even if I won’t be here some day, it will always stay my club. I owe Borussia so much and I will always be a fan of Borussia.

Scoring against Schalke at the derby, was not a normal goal for me. Even if it was only a penalty kick, it was a special goal. I really wanted to score and was highly-concentrated and 100 per cent sure that the ball will hit the goal. It couldn’t come out different, I had to score this goal. It was really special for me. I am Borusse and this will never change.

schwatzgelb: At the last derby, signs were rather good, Borussia played a really convincing half. The press conferences were promising, the fans stood behind the team even with only two derby victories in the last 24 matches. Why did it end that way, even if everything fitted at half time?

Nuri Sahin: It also fitted at that day. The only thing that didn’t fit was the shot from the distance, bouncing right in front of the player. If the ball doesn’t bounce before the shot, it will never hit the goal. I think, we had Schalke under control that day and this one situation decided the game. That was the only thing in Schalke had ahead of us that day.

Josef Schneck: One thing you should know about: the feeling we travel home with, after such a defeat is not different from yours. For us or for everyone, who is suffering with the club, the feeling is exactly the same. I think, I have suffered more this time than at any other defeat. I grew up with this derby spirit, when I was a child, which is long, long ago and it never goes away. Actually, I always have May 2007 in mind, when I walked over the press tribune and told all Schalke journalists “And again you end up empty-handed”, that was a great triumph. But they get back to you, when you are not winning anymore.

schwatzgelb: After you – unforunately once again– had lost the derby, critics said, that you players don’t know what a derby means. For you and Kevin, that surely isn’t the case. But are these critics right about your other teammates, coming partly from all over Europe?

Nuri Sahin: No, when you come here, you are told, that you should not lose the derby and that the derby is something special. Nobody thinks that it is only just a match and our coach is going in this match differently. Everone knows, that is a very, very special match. I don’t see it as just a normal match and nobody in our club sees it that way.

schwatzgelb: The derby is underling another fact that is striking under Jürgen Klopp. The matches against teams from the lower side of the table are won convincingly, which wasn’t always the case. Against teams out of the top 5, it seems, as if you are not playing with the last consequence. Against Munich, you were leading in both matches, in Leverkusen and against blue-white, too. Are you afraid, to go for the second goal to get the victory in these matches?

Nuri Sahin: You have to exclude Bayern, they are a different class. If Robben or Ribery have a good day, you can not stop them and in Dortmund, Ribery simply had a great day. They are simply better than us, you have to accept that. But we don’t have to hide against the rest oft he Budesliga, we have beaten Hamburg in a really good match, we have got a tie in Leverkusen and believe me, they will have much respect for us this time. [editorial Note: The Interview was done in the week before our great home win against Leverkusen]We don’t have to talk about the derby, you can be on the 18th rank and the other one on top, it is a special match. I think that we also played good against big teams and the other teams standing in the first part of the ranking. Are we afraid? No.

Schwatzgelb: So the ranking is not important for us?

Nuri Sahin: It must not. No matter if it is against a team from the top or the bottom, you have to get the maximum out of yourself in every match. It doesn’t matter, against whom.

schwatzgelb: You said that the importance of the derby is made clear directly for everyone. What about the history of the club? Have you ever been to the Borusseum?

Nuri Sahin: I was there, I had a press appointment there with Lars Ricken and Siggi Held. It was very nice to see how big the club is. Of course, I knew that before, but now I know even more about the club. As a Borusse, you have to go the Borusseum.

schwatzgelb: Let’s talk about tradition. In December, we had the 100th anniversary of the club. Every supporter of BVB, who experienced that, will be happy and proud about it. What about you players? Do you feel the big importance, this club has?

Nuri Sahin: I knew before, what this club means. But when you see all these important goals on the screen, hear the stories of the club, it is really brilliant. I think this evening was very, very nice and very successful. Everyone who was a part of it, did a great job and even the last ones who didn’t know, what Borussia Dortmund means, know that now.

schwatzgelb: You said “if I won’t be here some day”. What possibilities do you see for your future here, what do you want to achieve here?

Nuri Sahin: Really much. I have a contract until 2013 here and I didn’t sign it just for fun. The club is growing, the team is growing and the ambitions are getting higher and of couse I want to win some titles with Borussia Dortmund, that is normal. But in this sport, you will never be able to say: “T will stay here for my whole life.” I can’t say that, just because I am not able, to hand me a contract by myself. But when I’m sitting on the bench for 30 days, I can’t say “I am staying, because I am Borusse.” Of course, I will always be Borusse, but this is about my career and in that case, it would be reasonable to discuss, if it doesn’t make sense, to do something else. But right now, nothing is indicating, that I have to leave. I am very happy here, I am respected, I am playing in a great environment and a great team, I have a great coach, trusting me and a club trusting me. My family is living here, I am playing in one of the greatest stadiums of the world, there is no reason to do something else. But I can’t say “I will stay here my whole life” now, It is not in my hands.

schwatzgelb: Against Hertha, you have made that gesture with the heart over your head. That picture has become really popular on fan boards and is frequently asked for. Mohamed Zidan did this against Mönchengladbach, too and directly said, that it was for his family. Can you tell us, what it is about for you?

Nuri Sahin: The gesture was meant form y wife. We have made jokes about it and I said I will make this gesture if I will score some day. I think it was last year against Karlsruhe for the first time and since then, I do it after every goal.

schwatzgelb: So it isn’t meant for the club?

Nuri Sahin: The fans should know, that I am a Borusse. There is no need for such a gesture.

Schwatzgelb: There are only eight games until the end of the season. What do you think, will be the key matches?

Nuri Sahin: Eight important matches, 24 points – then you will qualify. (laughter)

schwatzgelb: After the match in Bochum, the management around Mr. Watzke and Mr. Zorc changed their approach regarding a goal for the season, where they had refused to name a target rank publicly before, they now admit, that they would like to keep the current postion. Does the team perceive that differently by now, as well?

Nuri Sahin: No, we still have to look forward from match to match. Of course, we are looking at the table after every match, watching what the others behind us did at that day and I would lie if I would say, that I don’t know, who is in front of us and who is behind us. Looking from one game to another! This weekend, we have Leverkusen at home and if you win that match, you have done something good and then you know, that you are in a good position in the table. Looking from one game to another, lining up and concentrating on the next opponent after every match. If we will be at the upper end at day 31 or 32, then nobody will say “We will see, what the season brings”, then everyone wants to stay there. For young players like us and the club it is very, very important, to play on an international basis. I hope we will next season.

schwatzgelb: In Bundesliga, there are new times for the kick-off regulary, the Europe League is reformed from time to time. Today, there are international game days every week. As a player, do you think that this is good? With the training schedule in mind, do you have any favoured game appointments?

Nuri Sahin: Of course I would like to play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8.45 pm, every footballer wants that. (great laughter) Apart from that, you don’t care about the kick-off times, as long as you are playing international.

schwatzgelb: Last week, Louis van Gaal talked about technical utilities and started the discussion about this again. What´s your opinion on that and what would you change in order to improve football as a sport?

Nuri Sahin: I love football as it is at the moment and I wouldn’t change very much. But I would like to have the chip in the ball, these are things which would really help. If we had a chip in the ball, we had won the derby at home, perhaps lost other games. But that evens out, believe me.

schwatzgelb: As the last question: On your homepage, it is written, that your aim is always, to make it far. What does that mean for you, in private and in sports?

Nuri Sahin: In private, I want a happy family, hopefully with children and – of course – health. A great life with my wife, a nice house at the seaside and a restaurant after the career, that is our dream. Our roots will of course stay in Meinerzhagen, we will live there, too, but a house at the seaside and and owning a restaurant, that´s what I am thinking about. But that is far away now. In sports, I want to make it to the top and win many titles. I want to leave my marks.

schwatzgelb.de: Thank you very much for the detailed interview!

Nuri Sahin: You’re welcome.

The Interview was held by Jens Buschmann, Malte Schwietering and Sven Hausmann.

In the first part of our interview, we talked about the recent situation and his personal development, in part two about the comparisons to great players, his role as a immigration model and the dortmunder chants.

Editors, 25.03.2010