Julian Brandt was highly praised for his impressive performance in the first group-stage game of the Confed Cup in Russia against Australia. The 21-year-old Leverkusen winger set up the goal to make it 1-0 in the 55th minute – the fastest goal in the history of the tournament. Julian Brandt discusses the win, his teammate Joshua Kimmich, and Canadian rapper Drake.
DFB.de: Mr. Brandt, did you see Lars Stindl before making the assist to him to give Germany a 1-0 lead?
Julian Brandt: Yes, I did indeed see him. He put himself in a great position, and he was the best option to make the pass to in my mind. He hit the ball really well. It was a nice link-up and a nice goal, as well as Lars’ first for Germany.
DFB.de: Was that technically difficult to do?
Brandt: My opponent was somewhat in the way of the pass, so I really had to pick out the right angle. It might have hurt my leg a little (laughs).
DFB.de: The move that made it 1-0 went through Kimmich, Goretzka, and Brandt. Sounds good no? Almost as good as Lahm, Khedira, Müller?
Brandt: (laughs) They’ve all won the World Cup – we’ve still got that challenge to come, but we’ve known each other for so long, having played in the U16s and U17s, that we simply know where the other wants the ball. We know what kind of a player the other is, and the communication between us is fantastic. We linked up well a few times, which was the case for Goretzka’s goal for which I passed the ball to Jo (Kimmich) and he put sent through the long ball. We know each other well of the pitch too, and I think that shows in my opinion.
DFB.de: You and Joshua Kimmich became European Champions in 2014.
Julian Brandt was highly praised for his impressive performance in the first group-stage game of the Confed Cup in Russia against Australia. The 21-year-old Leverkusen winger set up the goal to make it 1-0 in the 55th minute – the fastest goal in the history of the tournament. Julian Brandt discusses the win, his teammate Joshua Kimmich, and Canadian rapper Drake.
DFB.de: Mr. Brandt, did you see Lars Stindl before making the assist to him to give Germany a 1-0 lead?
Julian Brandt: Yes, I did indeed see him. He put himself in a great position, and he was the best option to make the pass to in my mind. He hit the ball really well. It was a nice link-up and a nice goal, as well as Lars’ first for Germany.
DFB.de: Was that technically difficult to do?
Brandt: My opponent was somewhat in the way of the pass, so I really had to pick out the right angle. It might have hurt my leg a little (laughs).
DFB.de: The move that made it 1-0 went through Kimmich, Goretzka, and Brandt. Sounds good no? Almost as good as Lahm, Khedira, Müller?
Brandt: (laughs) They’ve all won the World Cup – we’ve still got that challenge to come, but we’ve known each other for so long, having played in the U16s and U17s, that we simply know where the other wants the ball. We know what kind of a player the other is, and the communication between us is fantastic. We linked up well a few times, which was the case for Goretzka’s goal for which I passed the ball to Jo (Kimmich) and he put sent through the long ball. We know each other well of the pitch too, and I think that shows in my opinion.
DFB.de: You and Joshua Kimmich became European Champions in 2014.
Brandt: Yes, he’s been one of my most important teammates for a while now. He’s so driven. He wants to win every game, every competition – even in training, even when we play mini-golf! He motivates people. Joshua played a huge part in the European Championship win. Goretzka and I love playing with Joshua on the right-hand side of the pitch.
DFB.de: Are you more relaxed with your ambitions because of that?
Brandt: I have no idea. I don’t think that I show it like Jo does. He’s simply super-focused in the tunnel. I’m a bit different. I do really want to win every game, but it doesn’t really show. I think it’s a good thing that Jo is how he is and that I’m how I am. We complement one another.
DFB.de: You won the silver medal at the Olympics last year, and now you’ve got the Confed Cup after a long season. How are you holding up energy-wise?
Brandt: The season is really long. Here’s how it’s gone since last summer: preseason in Ascona, then the Olympics. I had a short holiday before having to play in the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League, and now I’m here at the Confed Cup. I’m really happy to be here, and I’m also certain that I’ll enjoy my holiday in July.
DFB.de: What do you do to switch off during the tournament?
Brandt: I really like to listen to music, that’s my go to. I saw a Drake concert in Amsterdam most recently. I stay in touch with my family often too – I’m very much a family guy. If we have a day or two off in Leverkusen then I like to go back to Bremen, where I walk our dog Nala to take my mind off things.
DFB.de: Your market value has doubled since the spring of 2016. What do you make of the business side of football? Do the numbers put pressure on your or are you okay with them?
Brandt: No, I don’t feel burdened by them. Football is loved to no end. Player prices are increasing exponentially, so the transfers are becoming more and more expensive. It’s true that it’s becoming harder and harder for players to justify their price tags. The fact my market value has increased like it has is a way of knowing that I’ve made good progress and been doing things right over the last year, but personally my market value isn’t something important to me.
DFB.de: Can you defeat Chile?
Julian Brandt: I think that we can take down Chile. I also believe that it’ll be a very difficult game. They’re not one of the world’s best teams for nothing. Each and every one of us has to push ourselves to the limit on Thursday. If we eliminate the mistakes we made in the game against Australia, then we’ve got a chance against Chile, which will be exciting.
