“My ambition has always helped me”

In his first interview after joining the club, herthabsc.de spoke to Eduard Löwen on his big step up, his goals at the ‘Old Lady’ and the upcoming Under 21 European Championships.

It was an early start for Eduard Löwen. Hertha’s new signing woke up before 8 o’clock in Frankfurt and landed in his new home city, Berlin, just over an hour later. From Tegel airport, Löwen travelled via Alt-Tegel to Steglitz-Zehlendorf and eventually arrived at the Hertha offices for his medical. “There was a lot of Berlin that I hadn’t seen before, so it was really exciting,” said the midfielder, who met his new coach Ante Čović at Hanns-Braun-Straße. Just after midday, the 22 year old signed his contract at his new club and set off back to Frankfurt, where he will depart from on Friday with the U21 national team to the European Championship. Amid the medical, contract signing and return flight, the new arrival still found the time to sit down to chat to herthabsc.de about his transfer, his preferred position and his personal goals.

herthabsc.de: Welcome to Berlin, Edu! Can you explain how your transfer to the club came about?
Löwen: Discussions with Michael Preetz and Ante Čović really excited me. They made it clear from the beginning that they were very interested and that they had a clear intention to sign me. That is the most important thing for any player. I got a good feeling when I realised that the club wanted to work with me and had a lot planned for me.

herthabsc.de: In the past few weeks it was reported in the media that a number of clubs were interested in you. What did you think when Hertha came knocking?
Löwen: Of course I followed it from the beginning. But the way that the representatives spoke to me really impressed me. Hertha is a fantastic club, and the city itself is very special. Even though it didn’t show in the final league standings, this team has a lot of potential and is capable of more.

herthabsc.de: How much of a role did players like Marvin Plattenhardt and Niklas Stark have, who have also made the step from Nürnberg to Berlin in the past?
Löwen: I don’t know either of them personally yet. But of course that was something that I thought about. I hope that it can be similar for me and that I can settle into the club and develop as well as they have.

herthabsc.de: What comes to mind when you think of the city of Berlin?
Löwen: I’ve never been here before, apart from away matches. It is a huge city and it is a real honour to be able to play here in the capital. I am very eager see how quickly I can settle in. I actually only know the Olympiastadion so far, and that is really impressive. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to play in the game last season due to injury, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Of course, there could be a few more fans there, but that’s something we’ll want to work on (laughs).

herthabsc.de: Up until a few days ago, you were in South Tyrol with the U21 national team preparing for the upcoming European Championship, along with your new teammates Arne Maier, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Jordan Torunarigha and Lukas Klünter. Did you use your time with them to talk a bit about Herhta?
Löwen: Definitely! Maxi has told me a lot and given me some advice. It really helps to get to know a few of the boys who can carry on helping me at the beginning.

herthabsc.de: You’ll travel to the Euros with Arne and Maxi. What are you goals for the tournament?
Löwen: I hope that I get as many minutes as possible. The team’s clear aim is to win the tournament! We know that it’ll be difficult – but it’s still our goal.

herthabsc.de: At Nürnberg you showed how variable you are. As well as in central midfield, you also played at centre-half and as a number ten. Where do you feel most comfortable?
Löwen: Definitely as a central or defensive midfielder. It’s obviously useful for a coach to have a player that can play in a number of different positions. At the same time though, it’s not always helpful for that player to be played in a number of different roles. It’s important to consistently play in one position.

herthabsc.de: How would you describe your style of play?
Löwen: I always say that other people can judge that better than I can. My biggest strength is my ball control and my physique. I can still improve in all areas though.

herthabsc.de: As a fourth-tier player, you signed for 1. FC Nürnberg from 1. FC Saarbrücken in 2016. After just two years in the 2. Bundesliga, you were promoted with FCN into the Bundesliga. How did you manage to rise up the leagues in such a short space of time?
Löwen: It was quite mental at times. My development went from zero to a hundred in almost no time. You have to take time to comprehend things, especially when you have a few bad games and the hype has gone. You have to be mentally strong to deal with all that goes on.

herthabsc.de: What helped you when things weren’t going so well?
Löwen: Mainly my Christian faith. As well as that, I have a great girlfriend who I’m going to marry in the summer. My parents have also always been behind me. I have a lot to thank them for. It’s always important to keep a clear head and to stay modest. Things can go badly just as quickly as they can go well.

herthabsc.de: What is Eduard Löwen like outside of football?
Löwen: I love to spend time with my family, my fiancé and my friends. That’s very important to me. Otherwise, I like to play PlayStation. My ambition is something that has always helped me in life. I worked on myself a lot early on in life.

herthabsc.de: What do you hope to achieve in your first few months at Hertha?
Löwen: I want to integrate myself as quickly as possible and I hope that I will get on well with my new teammates. The most important thing for a young player is game time. Then we’ll see what position we can achieve in the table.