"No need to worry about me"

Berlin – While his teammates see off the season by relaxing on holiday in Ibiza, Julian Schieber is working towards a comeback by carrying out some rehabilitation training.  This will continue to be the case for the coming weeks and months, even once Pál Dárdai’s team are back in pre-season training preparing for the 2017/18 season. “Rehab is never enjoyable for sportsmen. You just want to be out there on the pitch with your teammates, playing football and having a laugh in the dressing room. Instead you have to work on your own,” said the Hertha man. This can come across as quite a sombre experience in writing, but the 28-year-old has a different feeling. The striker hasn’t lost his positivity, despite suffering a set-back in his recovery from a second knee injury in the last two years.

He speaks to us about his fitness, the season just gone and Marvin Plattenhardt’s call-up to the Germany squad.

herthabsc.de: Julo, have you heard anything from Ibiza, where the lads are currently celebrating the end of the season?
Julian Schieber: We have a group chat which has kept me informed not only this week, but before that as well. The odd funny picture or video has been posted in there. I don’t wish to say any more than that (laughs). Obviously I’m a little disappointed that I can’t be there with them, partly because they won’t get to see me in my nice pink swimming trunks. But I’m hoping that I’ll have plenty more opportunities to celebrate in the future.

herthabsc.de: How is rehab going for you?
Schieber: I’m increasing the strain on my muscles every day, in particular doing a lot muscle stabilisation work. I’m also receiving treatment. I’ve not been on crutches for four weeks now so that obviously makes training and the exercises a lot easier. I’m making progress and I’m happy, but I still need to be patient. I’m not going to make a massive leap, but the last appointment with the doctor who operated on me in February was positive. I’m not going to put pressure on myself to return at a specific time, but there’s no need to worry about me.”

herthabsc.de: Can you compare it to your injury in 2015?
Schieber: I’ve left that in the past, but it’s not a bad thing to have experienced it in the past. Generally though, I try not to think about it too much.  

herthabsc.de: Hertha finished the 2016/17 season in sixth place and qualified for the Europa League. What’s your verdict on the season?
Schieber: We can be very pleased with what we achieved. Before the season started, not many of us would have thought we could have achieved what we did. Our first half of the season was really strong and the second was a bit patchy, but it was made tougher by the amount of injuries we had. We need to look back over the last few months and learn from them. We can still be proud and it’s great for the club to be in Europe!

herthabsc.de: Your former club Borussia Dortmund can ensure Hertha go straight into the group stage of the Europa League if they beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of the DFB Pokal on Saturday (27/05/17).  Do you still have a few contacts who you can call before the game?
Schieber: I don’t just want BVB to win as an ex-Dortmund player, but it would also be massively important for Hertha. There aren’t too many players left at BVB who were there when I was, but there are one or two. Perhaps I’ll write them a message before the game, but we’ll certainly all have our fingers crossed for a Dortmund win.

herthabsc.de: Another one of your ex-clubs VfB Stuttgart has gained promotion straight back to the Bundesliga. 
Schieber: Yes and I’m very pleased about that. Stuttgart was my childhood team. I grew up there and still have many friends there. I saw lots of videos of what was going on in the town when they won promotion. But one of my aims is to score a winning goal against Stuttgart (laughs).    

herthabsc.de: Your teammate Marvin Plattenhardt has been called up to the Germany squad for the first time. Some great recognition for ‘Platte’.
Schieber: Agreed. I must congratulate him on that! I’m very pleased for him and he definitely deserves it. He’s one of my most important people in Berlin. He is my fishing mate and I showed how calm he needs to be when he’s fishing and now he shows the same calmness on the ball. So perhaps I played a small part in his call-up (laughs).

herthabsc.de: After the friendly on Friday against SV Falkensee-Finkenkrug, the Hertha players are heading into the summer break. Will you have the opportunity to relax despite following your rehabilitation programme?
Schieber: Since I sustained the injury I’ve been working on my comeback and have hardly had a single day off. So as not to overwork my body, however, I will have a few days off over the summer.