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"No news is good news," as they say, but in Arne Friedrich's case the persistent lack of any news was beginning to worry colleagues and fans. Plagued by slipped disc problems, the Germany international (82 caps) had asked Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg to terminate his contract by mutual agreement last September and had more or less disappeared from public view since then.
Well, we're happy to say he's back, proudly announcing on Wednesday that he's going to join Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire. In this interview with DFB.de's Steffen Lüdeke, the 32-year-old player talks about his plans:
DFB.de: Arne, have you packed your bags yet, booked your flight to the U.S.?
Arne Friedrich: The current plan is that I'll leave on Tuesday next week. There is a whole lot of paperwork to be done, from applying for my work permit to obtaining the necessary entry visa, that kind of thing.
DFB.de: Which makes it unlikely for you to feature in the new season's first match at Montreal…
Friedrich: Yes, unfortunately, but let me do this first things first – my prime objective is to get to know my team-mates, and there's no better way for that than some serious training sessions.
DFB.de: So you're 100 percent fit again?
Friedrich: Yes, I have no complaints any more, and anyway – if I wasn't fit, the Fire wouldn't have given me a contract! There was a thorough medical check-up and I was given the go-ahead. On the other hand, there's always some remaining risk after herniated disc surgery.
DFB.de: Have you had the chance to already meet your team-mates?
Friedrich: No, they were away at training camp. But club management were there, of course, and the President – great people who immediately made me feel at home.
DFB.de: How did your transfer to the U.S. come about?
Friedrich: After leaving VfL Wolfsburg, I took some time out to find out what I really wanted, and I admit that for a while, one of the options was leaving the game altogether as playing on in Germany – or Europe, for that matter – held no appeal at all for me. So the only viable alternative was adding one more year in America. I then talked to some good friends who had the right contacts. After that, everything just fell into place.
DFB.de: You really thought about hanging up those boots?
Friedrich: From October to December 2011, I made sure to really remove myself from everything. I went to Florida, visiting friends, enjoying getting up in the morning without any commitments or deadlines to meet. So yes, I did think about ending my career.
DFB.de: And did you miss football?
Friedrich: Not really. I did follow the Bundesliga, of course, charting Hertha Berlin's and Wolfburg's progress, or lack of it. But it was only when I watched the German national team's games and met my former team-mates that I rediscovered the urge to play again. And I feel it's important to go abroad, broaden your horizon, learn to speak a new language really well etc. In fact, the USA have always been my favourite destination, I go there at least twice a year. So everything fits together really well.
DFB.de: Have you been in touch with (Germany head coach; DFB.de) Joachim Löw at all? And when did you tell him about your plans?
Friedrich: Well, like I said – the first few months after my contract termination I made a point of switching off completely and not even thinking about football. I then met Löw in Berlin in December 2011 and put him in the picture. Since then, there've been regular meetings and calls, also with Philipp Lahm and other players.
DFB.de: You won't be the only German in the MLS. Have you had a chance to talk to Torsten Frings who's at Toronto FC?
Friedrich: Not to him, but to goalie Frank Rost who, after leaving Hamburg SV, played in the U.S. for a year. He told me it was the best decision of his life and positively encouraged me to take a chance and move forward, which was one more reason for me to follow in his footsteps.
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DFB.de: One of your new team-mates at the Fire is Mexican Pavel Pardo who knows the Bundesliga from his days with VfB Stuttgart…
Friedrich: Yes, I met him in Chicago, he's a laid-back, easygoing kind of guy and has filled me in on the city and the club.
DFB.de: When you decided to try your luck in the MLS, were you influenced by players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry?
Friedrich: To a degree, yes. I do believe that their presence in the MLS has boosted soccer in the U.S. But the decisive factor for me personally was that Chicago is an exciting place to live, and that the Fire were prepared to give me as a 32-year-old professional the chance to open up a new chapter in my career.
DFB.de: Frank Klopas, your new coach, expects you to lead the younger players in defence. Is this a role you're happy to play?
Friedrich: Absolutely. I was fortunate in playing under Lucien Favre and Jogi Löw, both of whom are superb tacticians. It goes without saying that I'm ready to pass on all of my "German" experience to players in the States.
DFB.de: You've signed a one-year contract. Any plans beyond that?
Friedrich: It was a deliberate decision to leave it at that for the time being. You should never say "never" – after all, anything can happen – but one more year should really be enough for me.
DFB.de: But you're fully motivated, aren't you?
Friedrich: You bet! I can't wait to get back on a football pitch, discover a new city, make new friends. After all, this is my first foreign club. I used to be very attached to Berlin where I lived for ten years. Now's the time to move on.
DFB.de: Last season, the Chicago Fire didn't make it into the play-offs …
Friedrich: (laughs) Oh, we have ways and means to prevent that from happening again!
created by dfb
[bild1]
"No news is good news," as they say, but in Arne Friedrich's case the persistent lack of any news was beginning to worry colleagues and fans. Plagued by slipped disc problems, the Germany international (82 caps) had asked Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg to terminate his contract by mutual agreement last September and had more or less disappeared from public view since then.
Well, we're happy to say he's back, proudly announcing on Wednesday that he's going to join Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire. In this interview with DFB.de's Steffen Lüdeke, the 32-year-old player talks about his plans:
DFB.de: Arne, have you packed your bags yet, booked your flight to the U.S.?
Arne Friedrich: The current plan is that I'll leave on Tuesday next week. There is a whole lot of paperwork to be done, from applying for my work permit to obtaining the necessary entry visa, that kind of thing.
DFB.de: Which makes it unlikely for you to feature in the new season's first match at Montreal…
Friedrich: Yes, unfortunately, but let me do this first things first – my prime objective is to get to know my team-mates, and there's no better way for that than some serious training sessions.
DFB.de: So you're 100 percent fit again?
Friedrich: Yes, I have no complaints any more, and anyway – if I wasn't fit, the Fire wouldn't have given me a contract! There was a thorough medical check-up and I was given the go-ahead. On the other hand, there's always some remaining risk after herniated disc surgery.
DFB.de: Have you had the chance to already meet your team-mates?
Friedrich: No, they were away at training camp. But club management were there, of course, and the President – great people who immediately made me feel at home.
DFB.de: How did your transfer to the U.S. come about?
Friedrich: After leaving VfL Wolfsburg, I took some time out to find out what I really wanted, and I admit that for a while, one of the options was leaving the game altogether as playing on in Germany – or Europe, for that matter – held no appeal at all for me. So the only viable alternative was adding one more year in America. I then talked to some good friends who had the right contacts. After that, everything just fell into place.
DFB.de: You really thought about hanging up those boots?
Friedrich: From October to December 2011, I made sure to really remove myself from everything. I went to Florida, visiting friends, enjoying getting up in the morning without any commitments or deadlines to meet. So yes, I did think about ending my career.
DFB.de: And did you miss football?
Friedrich: Not really. I did follow the Bundesliga, of course, charting Hertha Berlin's and Wolfburg's progress, or lack of it. But it was only when I watched the German national team's games and met my former team-mates that I rediscovered the urge to play again. And I feel it's important to go abroad, broaden your horizon, learn to speak a new language really well etc. In fact, the USA have always been my favourite destination, I go there at least twice a year. So everything fits together really well.
DFB.de: Have you been in touch with (Germany head coach; DFB.de) Joachim Löw at all? And when did you tell him about your plans?
Friedrich: Well, like I said – the first few months after my contract termination I made a point of switching off completely and not even thinking about football. I then met Löw in Berlin in December 2011 and put him in the picture. Since then, there've been regular meetings and calls, also with Philipp Lahm and other players.
DFB.de: You won't be the only German in the MLS. Have you had a chance to talk to Torsten Frings who's at Toronto FC?
Friedrich: Not to him, but to goalie Frank Rost who, after leaving Hamburg SV, played in the U.S. for a year. He told me it was the best decision of his life and positively encouraged me to take a chance and move forward, which was one more reason for me to follow in his footsteps.
[bild2]
DFB.de: One of your new team-mates at the Fire is Mexican Pavel Pardo who knows the Bundesliga from his days with VfB Stuttgart…
Friedrich: Yes, I met him in Chicago, he's a laid-back, easygoing kind of guy and has filled me in on the city and the club.
DFB.de: When you decided to try your luck in the MLS, were you influenced by players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry?
Friedrich: To a degree, yes. I do believe that their presence in the MLS has boosted soccer in the U.S. But the decisive factor for me personally was that Chicago is an exciting place to live, and that the Fire were prepared to give me as a 32-year-old professional the chance to open up a new chapter in my career.
DFB.de: Frank Klopas, your new coach, expects you to lead the younger players in defence. Is this a role you're happy to play?
Friedrich: Absolutely. I was fortunate in playing under Lucien Favre and Jogi Löw, both of whom are superb tacticians. It goes without saying that I'm ready to pass on all of my "German" experience to players in the States.
DFB.de: You've signed a one-year contract. Any plans beyond that?
Friedrich: It was a deliberate decision to leave it at that for the time being. You should never say "never" – after all, anything can happen – but one more year should really be enough for me.
DFB.de: But you're fully motivated, aren't you?
Friedrich: You bet! I can't wait to get back on a football pitch, discover a new city, make new friends. After all, this is my first foreign club. I used to be very attached to Berlin where I lived for ten years. Now's the time to move on.
DFB.de: Last season, the Chicago Fire didn't make it into the play-offs …
Friedrich: (laughs) Oh, we have ways and means to prevent that from happening again!
