"Thinking about Hertha night and day!"

Sami Khedira has arrived in Berlin. In his first interview as a Herthaner, the midfielder speaks about his new club, goals and expectations and training alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

herthabsc.de: You even played with sporting director Arne Friedrich for the Germany national team. 
Khedira: A personal relationship is always helpful, but it wasn’t that important to my decision. (grins). I didn’t know Pál Dárdai personally until now, only from press conferences. I just got a good gut feeling from our discussions. Arne has barely changed but he is even more mature after his experiences abroad. We were on the same wavelength right from the start of discussions. I felt his passion for the job and I like the clarity with which he speaks.

herthabsc.de: Have you discussed your role in the team yet? What expectations do you have of yourself?
Khedira: I see myself as an established player who should bring some stability to this young team. That’s what the club expects of me too. We have an unbelievably talented team that has plenty of quality. I know how important leadership is from all the years that I’ve been playing football. At Real Madrid, for example, I had Xabi Alonso by my side helping me grow. That’s what made me the player that I am today. Without those players around me I would never have been able to reach that level. I see my role in a similar fashion. I have to add quality but at the same time I need to bring a good mentality and support the lads in order to help the talented players develop and reach their potential. The first requirement for that is obviously that I play well.

herthabsc.de: With Real Madrid and Juventus you have won the UEFA Champions League, numerous league titles and plenty of domestic cups. The current situation in the capital is somewhat different. Are you motivated by the new challenge?
Khedira: For me it’s about winning matches, regardless of whether you want to finish as champions or if you’re where Hertha are right now. To get out of it you have to win, that’s all that matters. Obviously it’s hard because it’s a game of confidence and trust. When you’re at the top it’s a lot easier to put things into practice. Now it’s about surviving, so we have to win, fight and show passion and a good mentality. I am absolutely convinced that I can help the team with my personality. We have to think about Hertha night and day and work hard to get the best possible results. I am sure that we can do it given the squad and the team that we have! When I look at the players’ names and the quality, there are plenty of possibilities.

herthabsc.de: In Turin you were no longer getting the playing time that you had hoped for. Will the lack of match action be an issue?
Khedira: Obviously you can’t just ignore the fact that I haven’t had much match practice of late. I’ve been in regular training with the team since summer, though. I’ve always had a good, honest relationship with Andrea Pirlo and the club. I was at every tactical session, every training session. Obviously I need rhythm – that goes without saying. But my fitness levels are good and I’ve been doing plenty of football-specific training. When you train with world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro, the demands are constant!

herthabsc.de: Your first game in Berlin is coming up this Friday (05/02/21, 20:30 CET) against Bayern Munich. Will you be ready to feature?
Khedira: Yeah, for sure! I am physically and mentally ready. In the end it’s the coach’s decision, though. I will give it my all no matter what and I will share my knowledge and everything that I’ve learned to help the team be successful in our next match. It will be an unbelievably tough task but I’m really optimistic. To be honest, I can barely wait to pull on that blue and white shirt for the first time.

herthabsc.de: Your debut as a Herthaner could come at the Olympiastadion, a stadium you know well from your time in the Bundesliga and as a Germany international. You played your first ever Bundesliga match here back in 2006. What memories do you associate with the stadium and with the city?
Khedira: I love the stadium, the architecture is wonderful and playing there is always a special occasion. The atmosphere with fans in the stadium is unbelievable. I experienced one or two bitter defeats there with VfB Stuttgart and my first thought is of the Pokal final against Nürnberg in 2007. Berlin is a really powerful city with a lot of emotion. I have a few friends who have moved here from Stuttgart. I find the city really exciting, just like Hertha! But I’m not here to see the sights – I’m here to play football and bring success to Hertha!