WERDER.DE: Has your role in the team changed then? You, Claudio Pizarro and two or three others were only a small group of old heads in 2015/2016…
Clemens Fritz: “It’s very early to judge that. We will see what happens during the season – especially when things aren’t going that well.”
WERDER.DE: Thinking back to when you started out, what has changed most?
Clemens Fritz: “Some things have changed in society, which have had an impact on football. You simply have to look at social media to see the way that the interest in footballers has increased. I am most definitely not a big fan of talking about how things used to be though. I don’t think it’s good to draw comparisons. It used to always really irritate me and I didn’t want to become like that. That’s why you will never hear me say to the younger players that we used to do things in such and such a way.”
WERDER.DE: How did you behave as a young player towards the experienced and established players?
Clemens Fritz: “Respectfully. I tried to take as much as I could away from talking to them. You can only learn at that age. As a young player and a young person you should go through life with your eyes and ears open, as I’ve learned a lot of important lessons along the way.”
WERDER.DE: Could you ever have imagined that you would have such a long career as a professional footballer. Was it an aim for you?
Clemens Fritz: “No definitely not. I always said that I wouldn’t play on for a very long time. I never expected that I would still be active at the age I am now but I am enjoying every day that I am able to be here. There are days that are tiring or annoying but that is just a part of the job.”
WERDER.DE: Is it just as hard to imagine what you would be doing at this time in 2017 if you weren’t with Werder in NeuruppIn, Zillertal or here at Herzlake?
Clemens Fritz: “I haven’t considered that at al. A year is a long time to think ahead. It’s not a secret that I would like to take a year out from work to travel and have a two year affiliation agreement with Werder. However, I don’t know what I’ll be doing during pre-season next year.”