At home under the floodlights and rain

Interview with Romano Schmid

Romano Schmid (Photo: nordphoto).
interview
Saturday, 22.08.2020 / 19:05

Having only just arrived in Bremen, he’s back in Austria. That’s where Romano Schmid seems to belong. After moving to the Weser, the lively midfielder was loaned to Wolfsberger AC one-and-a-half years ago. This summer, he’s once again headed to his home country after starting pre-season in Bremen. Whilst he’s enjoying the training camp in picturesque Zillertal, the man from Graz doesn’t feel at home in the mountains. “When the rain falls here in the valley it badly affects my mood,” says Schmid in an interview with WERDER.DE.

The 20-year-old discussed his time at Wolfsberger AC, pressing football and his further development.

WERDER.DE: Moin, Romano! Have you got used to this greeting yet?

Romano Schmid: “Not totally yet. When I see you, I say Moin, but apart from that I say Servus or Serwas.”

WERDER.DE: Was it easier moving to Bremen as you’d already been there before?

Romano Schmid: “One-and-a-half years ago I was in Bremen for a couple of weeks, but there was no time to get settled in. I trained with the U23s, who really welcomed me. Now I’ve been here for just three weeks, but the boys have made it really easy for me. When you have a team like that, you feel at home straight away. It makes integrating so much easier.”

Suddenly an entirely different job…

Watch the highlights from our friendly against Linz now! (Foto: nordphoto)

WERDER.DE: You played a key role at Wolfsberger AC. How did the plan there work out?

Romano Schmid: “We made the joint decision that I’d be loaned out for a year and a half and we’d see how my development went. I think it went really well. The first six months weren’t easy for me, but after that it went really well, including in the Europa League and with the busy schedule. I played a lot and was always fit up until the last six games.”

WERDER.DE: In what ways did you develop as a footballer in this time?

Romano Schmid: “Most of all, I’ve improved defensively. We pressed for 90 minutes, so my stamina is really good now too. Otherwise, the most important thing for a young footballer is to play. Development as a player comes naturally from that.”

WERDER.DE: Did you meet the challenges of the step up from youth to senior football physically?

Romano Schmid: “When you press like under Gerhard Struber (head coach of WAC from July to November 2019), then every player makes the step up. In my youth, I always played as a number ten, and now I’m a number eight. That’s a completely different job that demands lots of running. Previously, that wasn’t the case.”

WERDER.DE: How important were the more familiar surroundings during your year-and-a-half in Austria for your development?

Romano Schmid: “That wasn’t so important. I think you can develop anywhere, as long as the environment suits you. That was definitely the case with WAC. Particularly in the second year, I really felt the trust of the head coach.”

WERDER.DE: The Werder fans have kept a close eye on your development. Were you aware of this interest from Bremen?

Romano Schmid: “I focused on WAC and didn’t really notice anything from the Werder fans. I noticed that some things were being written in the media after nutmegging Florian Neuhaus in the Europa League, but other than that, no.”

WERDER.DE: That was the moment when excitement for your return but also expectations increased. How do you deal with it?

Romano Schmid: “I really hope that I can fulfill these expectations. I’ll give my all and I’m confident that I’ll do well. I can deal with expectations really well.”

WERDER.DE: Were you happy with your first games for Werder?

Romano Schmid: “Against Braunschweig I was able to put in a really solid performance, I slotted into the team straight away. Against LASK it was more difficult, especially after the first 15 minutes. That’s just pre-season, though – I’m currently working at a higher intensity than normal as I was injured before.”

WERDER.DE: And now your legs look like they’ve taken a beating. Is that a sign that you’re working hard?

Romano Schmid: “I don’t think it’s anything to do with working hard – the wounds are usually from the players who are slower than me!” (laughs)

"Playing without the ball is the biggest change"

Romano Schmid is already back in Austria (Photo: W.DE)

WERDER.DE: You now live in Bremen; how have you managed to settle in so far?

Romano Schmid: “I actually left all my things in Austria – I bought all the furniture for my flat in Bremen from scratch, for example. My family is obviously still in Austria, so I’m beginning a completely new chapter here on the Weser.”

WERDER.DE: You returned to your home country almost as soon as you arrived in Bremen…

Romano Schmid: “As beautiful as it is here, I need it to rain. I love the rain.”

WERDER.DE: The Werder fans will be happy to hear that…

Romano Schmid: “I think that I play my best football when it’s raining. When we’re playing under the floodlights and it’s tipping it down, it really spurs me on. In summer football is always so slow and lethargic. The rain gives me extra strength.”

WERDER.DE: So we can look forward to you first games when the weather is bad. What are you still getting used to?

Romano Schmid: “I work a lot harder without the ball than I did in previous years. I played for Red Bull Salzburg for three years and also worked with Gerhard Struber, a former coach in Salzburg, at Wolfsberger. So I have always played intense, pressing football. With the insane quality and speed of German football it will be harder to play pressing football. So the work without the ball is the biggest change for me.”

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