Hahn: “They say that the final is incredible”

André Hahn must consider the prospect no longer. The big day is here, and the Borussia Mönchengladbach striker immediately knows the deal. After all, the 26-year-old has a rather special relationship with the DFB-Pokal, owing to the fact that it was his stepping stone into the Bundesliga.

Hahn has been under contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach since the summer of 2014, and has gone through plenty during his time with the club, which spans almost three years. Gladbach have played in the Champions League and Europa League in this time, and he himself has taken part in 90 games and scored 18 goals. However, a tear in his knee in October 2015 also meant that he had to miss half a year.

Now he’s just one step away from being able to play for a title with Borussia – a great chance. Hahn and Borussia come up against Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB-Pokal semi-final on Tuesday (20:45 CEST).

Hahn spoke with DFB.de in an interview on his special DFB-Pokal experiences, his tough times at FC Oberneuland, his unique take on football, his former managers, and the semi-final against Eintracht.

DFB.de: André Hahn, can you recall the 18th of December, 2012?

André Hahn: Yes, clearly. It was when we played in the DFB-Pokal quarter-final against Fortuna Düsseldorf with Kickers Offenbach, and won 2-0.

DFB.de: Both that game in particular and the Pokal run in the season prior to it were very special for you in general...

Hahn: The Pokal was a career milestone for me back then and a springboard into the Bundesliga. We overcame Greuther Fürth, Union Berlin, and Fortuna. I was being watched by FC Augsburg at the time, and they finally made the decision to sign me after the game against Düsseldorf. Things soon came full circle, as I made my debut for Augsburg against Düsseldorf four weeks later.

DFB.de: What was unique about being a third-tier player in the Pokal?

Hahn: The stadiums are more filled, the games are broadcast live, and you can show that you can frustrate the big clubs. We never had anything to lose. We looked to forward to games weeks in advance and simply enjoyed them. Being knocked out was all the more disappointing, because we didn’t know for sure if we’d be able to make it back next year.

DFB.de: Your career almost came to an end once, when you had your contract terminated at Oberneuland in 2010. Did you have to go back to eating frozen pizza?

Hahn: (laughs) No, only very rarely. Times were tough for the club because of their financial situation. We used to live in a WG, ate frozen pizza, bought cheap water and shared lifts to training. We weren’t receiving our salaries, we wanted to boycott the training sessions and went as a team to the President – but all that also brought us closer together.

DFB.de: Do you see football differently because of that?

Hahn: I know that I need to cherish what I have. I didn’t have any educational qualifications from college, and had to work my way up. I am proud though, that I lived through those times and took that route. It’s not the conventional path, and very few footballers have gone that way and succeeded.

DFB.de: What would have been your plan B?

Hahn: My father owns his own insurance company. Having had my contract terminated in the second half of the 2010 season in Oberneuland and being without a club, we decided that I would go and work for him. Thankfully I managed to show something in my last game in Oberneuland, and was snapped up by TuS Koblenz.

DFB.de: How important is the time that you spend with your father, who is also your advisor?

Hahn: Very important, but it’s about the whole family too. For example, I was only allowed to go to Hamburg SV after my course on painting car bodies finished in 2008. I was on a roll as a young player of course, but it’s then important to have family and friends who keep you grounded. Being raised as a down-to-earth person has brought me a long way.

DFB.de: On that topic, you’re also very honest. You’ve said that you don’t have enough talent for the Bundesliga...

Hahn: I have talent of course, but I don’t have so much talent that I would say that I can make it in the Bundesliga on that talent alone. I’ve had to have experience, will, be prepared, be ambitious and believe in myself in order to have done it. When I see someone like Mo Dahoud for example, and how he controls the ball, and his football IQ along with that – that is fascinating. I’m very realistic about it. I can’t ever reach his level, even though I can log 200 hours on the pitch. If only I had half the amount of talent that he has, then that would be awesome for me. But I’m a different type of player, and nobody else plays football like I do. Each player brings their strengths and weaknesses to the team. That’s ultimately what a team is.

DFB.de: You made the leap during your time in Augsburg. You were in the preliminary World Cup squad in the summer of 2014, and made the next step forward in the league via your move to Augsburg. What are your thoughts on all that?

Hahn: A year and a half ago, I was playing in the 3. Liga, and then I became the first Augsburg player to be called up to the Germany team since Helmut Haller. I was very grounded while it was all happening, but of course I constantly walked around with a grin on my face. I enjoyed every second of it and still do to this day.

DFB.de: How would you describe your time in Gladbach so far?

Hahn: As a rollercoaster ride - but that applies to developing further as well as my career. I suffered a severe knee injury in October 2015, and had to fight to come back from it. After that, I scored six goals in six games and was on the fringes of the national team once again in the run up to the 2016 European Championship. Overall, I’ve gone through some highs and lows.

DFB.de: Do negative thoughts come with an injury of that magnitude?

Hahn: I’m a positive person. I never feared being unable to return. Of course there were also difficult phases, but I was also “fortunate” in a way that so many players before me had recovered from knee injuries. We used the term “left knee” in our WhatsApp group whenever one of us got into an unfortunate scenario.

DFB.de: You’ve been coming off the bench a lot as of late. How patient are you really?

Hahn: Patience isn’t a strength of mine, but we have a lot of competition within the squad. Borussia Mönchengladbach has developed exceptionally well and is a really great club with a lot of tradition behind it. Every player wants to play. I’m happy, even when I’m on the bench, but I do then think that I would have liked to have had a chance to play from the start. I’m impatient in that sense.

DFB.de: You’re a versatile player. In your opinion, where would you say you are best utilised?

Hahn: It depends on the opponent. Most of all, I like to have a lot of space to run into and enjoy play against teams who are attacking-minded. Then I can use my strengths, such as speed, being robust, finishing, and my aerial presence to bring my best to the pitch. I simply try to enjoy the position I’m playing, which the manager has entrusted me to play.

DFB.de: You’ve had a few big-name managers. Who did you work best with?

Hahn: Every manager has strengths and weaknesses and I have taken something away from my experiences with all of them. I owe the most to Markus Weinzierl because he took me out of the 3. Liga and showed his faith in me after only three days of training. I became a regular starter in the Bundesliga under him. Lucien Favre was also a former manager of mine. Dieter Hecking tries to bring everyone together and keep spirits high. He puts a lot of emphasis on discipline and team spirit. He embodies that and we’re on the right track with him.

DFB.de: This track has led to Frankfurt in the DFB-Pokal semi-final on Tuesday. FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund were also in the draw. What was the team’s reaction to the results of the draw?

Hahn: We were on the team bus after our victory against HSV and watched the draw live on our phones. We all said: “A home game, please let it be a home game.” We were then immediately drawn as the first team and were already celebrating. On top of that, a home game against Frankfurt sounds easier than an away game in Munich or in Dortmund. However, the two Bundesliga games against them have shown that under no circumstances can we underestimate Frankfurt.

DFB.de: How are you expecting the game to play out?

Hahn: They’re a stubborn and aggressive side. We had a lot of trouble in the 0-0 game in Frankfurt a few weeks ago, and were fortunate to have drawn. It will be no easy game, and it’s no given that we’ll progress to the final, even if you hear that there’s no excuse for not beating Frankfurt when we’re at home. Yes it’s possible, but it will be a brutally tough game. We have to totally dig in, be strong in the challenge, and take our chances.

DFB.de: One game to go until Berlin: how do you prepare for a game like that?

Hahn: I’ve never been in a situation like this. I try to prepare for it like I would any other Bundesliga game. It’s awesome to be able to reach the final. We are performing well at the moment and are a great team. We can’t cramp up and can’t say: “It’s the semi-final, now we have to give it everything we’ve got.” We have to focus on the game, and then we’ll have every chance of making the final.

DFB.de: Have you quizzed Uwe Kamps on what to expect in Berlin?

Hahn: Ibrahima Traore and Jonas Hofmann have already been to a final. They tell everyone that it’s incredible. It’s an awesome atmosphere, it’s done on a grand scale, and the stadium is packed, and with that comes the tension. When I think about how many Gladbach fans would be able to come with us if we managed to do it – then it really would be something quite special.

DFB.de: Are you also looking to create more special memories in the Pokal for yourself?

Hahn: No doubt about it. It’s a dream for every footballer to raise something up in their hands. The DFB-Pokal is a realistic chance for us to win something. We want it badly. It would be fantastic to be able to play in the final, but I’m not worrying about who the opponents might be quite yet. We’ll devote our undivided attention to Frankfurt first.