There’s only one way of communicating with the outside world for Jiri Pavelenka at the moment – via his smartphone. The Werder goalkeeper keeps in touch with his family just a few miles away from the team’s quarantine hotel every day on Facetime. It’s also the only way that the Czech shot-stopper can hold interviews ahead of the Bundesliga restart as well.
WERDER.DE spoke with the Bremen no.1 about his feelings ahead of the restart, matches without fans and day-to-day life in the quarantine training camp.
WERDER.DE: Moin, Pavlas! What’s the mood like in the team hotel?
Jiri Pavlenka: “The mood is good. Everyone’s looking forward to finally playing again. It’s a shame that we won’t have any supporters there though. There’s no other alternative unfortunately, so we have to accept the situation.”
WERDER.DE: What does a typical day look like in your quarantine training camp?
Jiri Pavlenka: “We eat breakfast and then we head to the morning training session. Everyone travels alone so that we’re not all sat together in the bus. Then we go back to the hotel and everyone has a couple of hours to themselves after lunch to recover or maybe have a little nap before the afternoon session. It’s pretty much the same routine as during a normal training camp.”
WERDER.DE: Presumably, you all have your own room?
Jiri Pavlenka: “That’s right. We also don’t sit together at mealtimes. There are large tables that three or four players at most sit at so that we can maintain our distance. We can still talk to each other a little that way at least.”
WERDER.DE: How frustrating is it to be away from your wife and son, despite them being just a few miles away?
Jiri Pavlenka: “Well, obviously we’d all like to be with our family, but we only have to do it for one week. It’s completely acceptable. We’re under strict quarantine for seven days and aren’t able to see our families or anyone outside of the team circle, but we have to accept that.”
WERDER.DE: Has the Bundesliga break done you good to help detach yourself from the situation a little?
Jiri Pavlenka: “The break has been good for me because I’ve had more time for my family and with my son, which was really nice. I think it was helpful to forget about the table for a while too, but we know that the situation is still very serious and we need to show that we still want to remain in the Bundesliga. It almost feels a little bit like a second chance.”
WERDER.DE: Are you scared of getting infected? How are you dealing with the risk?
Jiri Pavlenka: "It’s not a problem for me personally. I feel like everyone is really following the rules very closely. When we’re together or we go out, we’re wearing masks, we’re making sure to always disinfect and we’re all alone in our separate hotel rooms. We’re not in contact with anyone."
WERDER.DE: You’re normally a man of few words anyway aren’t you?
Jiri Pavlenka (laughs): "No, no, I speak to my family on Facetime every day. It’s good how easy that is nowadays. Luckily as well, we’re talking a lot during mealtimes at the table, with there being no other form of contact."
WERDER.DE: How difficult is it for you all to concentrate on competition amidst the current global situation?
Jiri Pavlenka: "To be honest, to me it’s not about how difficult it is. We should be expected to have complete focus on it. It’s our job, after all. Personally, I think the season will now be completed as planned, without any more cancellations. So it’s our task to give everything to stay in the league until the final matchday."
WERDER.DE: How much can you actually prepare for a certain opposition right now, and what are you expecting from Leverkusen?
Jiri Pavlenka: "It’s the same for all of the teams. Nobody knows how their opposition is doing, no team has been able to play any friendlies. For us and for Leverkusen it’s the very first game, so it’s difficult to know what to expect. We can win, and we desperately want to win. Every game counts now, every game is like a cup final for us."
WERDER.DE: What was it like playing a friendly in front of an empty stadium on Monday?
Jiri Pavlenka: "It’s difficult to describe. We’re playing for the fans - that’s what football is all about. When you step out onto the pitch and the stadium is packed, it just makes you happy. So it is very different. We’ve spoken a lot about the situation to try and mentally prepare for it. I think that will help."
WERDER.DE: To what extent will the absence of the supporters affect the game itself?
Jiri Pavlenka: "You can hear everything (laughs). So communication can definitely be better, but it’s like driving without an engine. The fans are like an engine to us, driving us forward, so I wouldn’t really see the communication aspect as an advantage. The way I see it, that doesn’t come close to making up for having no fans there."
