For Sandro Wagner, his time at Werder feels like long ago. In those six years since he wore the Werder jersey, a lot has changed. The now 30-year-old striker has played for FC Kaiserlautern, Hertha, Darmstadt and Hoffenheim, gained experience in Bundesliga 2 and became a national player. Since the start of January he has been back at his boyhood club FC Bayern and on Sunday he will meet the team that has always held a place in his heart; the Green-Whites.
Before the reunion this weekend, the Munich striker spoke to WERDER.DE about how he still feels goosebumps when he arrives at the Weser-Stadion, Caldirola: the “crazy Italian” and also about the special bond he has had with Max Kruse’s family since the age of twelve.
WERDER.DE: Sandro, after many years you have returned to your hometown and to your boyhood club. Is this a happy return for you?
Sandro Wagner: “Yes. Definitely. I’ve come home to where I started my career. I was born in Munich and was down at Säbener Straße practically every day for twelve years. My family and friends are all here. For me it’s just great that I am back home, it fills me with pride.”
WERDER.DE: You are now back home next to your family, how is that for you?
Sandro Wagner: “It’s brilliant! And I hope my wife thinks the same (laughs). It’s obviously a big change but a good change. I can see my children every day and get to have more of a private life. The last two and a half to three years have been really tough because I’ve spent all my free time travelling. Now I don’t have to do that as they’re all here, which is a massive relief.”
WERDER.DE: On Sunday you will meet 5 former teammates; three from Bremen and two from your time at Darmstadt. Do you remember who they are?
Sandro Wagner: “Of course I remember them all. In Bremen I played with Philipp Bargfrede, in Darmstadt with Luca Caldirola and Jerome Gondorf. They were all very close friends of mine and we had a great time playing together. But I also remember all the physiotherapists and others that work around the team. Also, I’ve know Max Kruse for the best part of 20 years. I remember playing a youth tournament with Bayern when I stayed with host parents, which happened to be Max’s family. That was a happy coincidence. And of course I know Tim Borowski from the days back when he was still playing. So I know one or two people dotted around the club as well and I’m looking forward to seeing a few friendly faces around on Sunday.”
“I expect to face a gutsy Bremen side”Sandro Wagner
WERDER.DE: Out of all of your former teammates, who is the one that you most keep in contact with?
Sandro Wagner: “Luca Caldirola; the crazy Italian. We send each other messages from time to time but recently not so much. It always plays out like that, which is a shame! You keep up contact but eventually it just gets harder and harder to keep in touch.”
WERDER.DE: What kind of a game are you expecting on Sunday?
Sandro Wagner: “I expect to face a gutsy Bremen side. I have already read in a couple of interviews their players saying that they have nothing to lose. That’s true of most of the teams that play Munich. But I expect them to play aggressively and on the front foot. Werder will not park the bus. The team has had good results in recent few weeks and played good football too. They are strong on the counter and have some really quick players up top. We’re expecting to play a lot in Werder’s half and so will always have to be wary of the counter-attack. I think it will be a great match, especially for the fans.”
WERDER.DE: Despite recent good results, Werder remain in the relegation places. What do you think of their current table standing?
Sandro Wagner: “I think they will get out of the drop zone as they always do because they have such quality in their team. The club has so far remained calm and plus with those fans there’s no way you can’t be motivated when you go out onto that pitch. They are amongst the best fans in the Bundesliga, that’s for sure. I think that if it weren’t for the fans, Werder would have probably gone down already. They have an incredible spirit down there. When you are travelling to the ground and you get hit by the ‘green wave’, it always gives me goosebumps.”
WERDER.DE: Many times over your career, you have switched clubs in the January transfer window. What differences are there between a transfer in January as opposed to in the summer?
Sandro Wagner: “For sure it’s a bit colder on your first day of training (laughs). However this time, I joined up with the team out in Qatar, which was nice. In summer you definitely have more time to adjust whereas in winter the fixtures come thick and fast. You have to make an impact as soon as you get there instead of affording yourself time to settle in.”
WERDER.DE: Taking a look forward now. This summer, we have the World Cup; a dream for any international player. What would it mean for you to be a part of that squad?
Sandro Wagner: “For every footballer the World Cup is the pinnacle, and I’m exactly the same. To play for the national team is a massive honour and something I will have to work hard towards. It’s always a massive occasion to play for Germany and over the past year I feel as though I’ve played well and managed to score a few in the qualifiers. So I am confident that I will get my chance over in Russia and what an honour it will be to play there. But we still have the whole of the second half of the season to go. There are also a lot of good attacking-players in Germany, so I can’t wait to see who makes the squad. I will give everything to get my opportunity as I feel I’ll only have myself to blame if I don’t have a seat on that plane.”
