Basel goalkeeper Marwin Hitz has had a very special journey. In an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency, he talks about why FCB is currently doing so well, among other things.
Marwin Hitz only played his first game in the Super League shortly before his 35th birthday. This is due to the fact that he moved to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in 2008 after appearances with Winterthur in the Challenge League - knowing that he would only be the number 3 goalkeeper there.
"I saw the chance to play under a coach (Felix Magath) with an incredible reputation in all directions, with a team that wanted to attack," Hitz explained in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. "Of course I knew that I needed a lot of patience and had to catch up physically. Many people were waiting for me to come back in the winter. But I stayed in Germany a little longer after all (laughs)."
The skepticism drove Hitz on. "Apart from my family, I didn't get much support in football. I don't have good memories of my youth there, I experienced so many disappointments that I learned how to deal with them. I built up a great deal of resilience." The fact that Hitz developed later than others in football also has to do with the fact that he completed a three-year commercial apprenticeship. "I was extremely tired during this time, it was very exhausting. But training was important to me right from the start."
Grateful for the opportunity
He stayed with Wolfsburg for five years, although he only made 13 appearances in the Bundesliga. "I was always able to draw energy from this tough time. And I was grateful to have been given this chance in the first place," says Hitz. In 2013, he moved to league rivals Augsburg, where he was number 1 from November of the same year. What made this successful time even more special for him was that he got married and the first two of his three children were born.
In 2018, Hitz moved to Borussia Dortmund, even though he knew that his compatriot Roman Bürki had a head start. "For me, it was the only top 15 club in Europe where I saw a chance to become number 1 at some point," says Hitz. "The appeal of playing for such a club in such a stadium with such a 'wall' was so great that I took the plunge. It was worth it."
This was despite another disappointment for him. After he became BVB's number 1 at the end of January 2021 and extended his contract until 2023 a month later, Dortmund signed another goalkeeper for the 2021/22 season in the form of Switzerland's Gregor Kobel. Hitz had to take the back seat again. "I quickly realized that at my age it would be impossible to get past him, as he was performing at his best," said Hitz. He therefore decided to opt out of his contract early and join FC Basel. This is how he ended up in the Super League after all. FCB will host Servette on Sunday.
Interview:
Marwin Hitz, things are going very well for FC Basel. You've won five of your last six games and are one point behind Zurich in second place in the table. Why are things going so well at the moment?
"We worked very well in preparation and set ourselves the goal of improving in all areas. We did score points in the important phases last season, but not with the style of football we want to play. Then a lot of good lads joined us, also in terms of character. We have the best team in terms of quality since I've been here. That leads to a good level of training. Everyone pushes each other, everyone wants to be successful without having too big an ego. It's a very positive team spirit."
You have scored the most goals in the current championship and, together with Zurich and Lugano, have conceded the fewest. That speaks for a good balance in the team.
"That's not exceptional, but of course it's a very good sign for the team. Nevertheless, in my opinion we are still allowing too many shots on goal and big chances. We also had a bit of luck in one or two situations. But we're certainly on the right track."
To what extent is the upturn linked to the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri?
"He brings enormous quality and plays very unselfishly. But of course he's also dependent on his teammates, so it didn't work out so well at the beginning. It was initially a case of 'finding each other'. The fact that he is probably the most successful Swiss footballer has a wow effect on many people. When a player like that says something, people listen carefully."
Just over a year ago, the feeling was diametrically different. FCB were bottom of the table with five points from their first eleven games. For a reflective person like you, this situation must have been particularly difficult.
"It was certainly the most difficult time in my football career, although I had already experienced a lot of highs and lows. I felt helpless - on the pitch, which is one of the worst things, but also off it. A lot of things went wrong, a lot of things came together. But what made me very proud during this phase was that we never fell apart. We never tore ourselves apart or passed the blame back and forth. That is certainly one of the reasons for our current good run. Many people stayed here, and a situation like this naturally brings us closer together."
Is it even possible to switch off as a mental person in a situation like this?
"My head has often been spinning, sometimes even at night. You feel ashamed when you're in such a bad position and playing so badly. The journey to training is relatively long. Then it's no fun to drive past everyone because you feel responsible for the whole thing. All the more so in a city where football is alive and well."
At 37, you are at an advanced age as a footballer. Does that make it easier to deal with such a difficult situation?
"As a young player, I always thought it would be easier with a certain standing. But, to be honest, it didn't turn out that way. I always worried more, felt more responsible when things didn't go my way. But I think that's a prerequisite for being around for so long. If you stop feeling responsible, you can't maintain the level."
Speaking of maintaining the level: How much more effort do you have to put in today?
"Fortunately, I started looking after myself early on. I was always picking up things from fellow players, informing myself. I've always done yoga, I didn't just consume myself on the massage bench, I did my own exercises. I looked at nutrition early on. Then there's genetic luck. But there is definitely a lot of hard work and discipline behind the fact that I can still play at this level."
Your contract with FCB expires next year. Is there any indication of what will happen next?
"I just had a very long and intensive discussion with my family last weekend, as the original plan was to finish in 2025. I'm a person who always needs a goal, who wants to work towards something. We've now decided that, if it's possible, I'll play on for another year. Looking further ahead doesn't make sense at my age. Basel as my current club, where I feel very comfortable, is certainly my first port of call, that's always been the case with me. Otherwise I would have played for more clubs."
Either way, you already have a foothold for the time after your career with a real estate company.
"It was always important to me to have something on the side, to talk to people outside of football, to learn something new that I haven't done 100,000 times before. It gives me a certain security and allows me to make decisions without pressure. But of course it's not easy to stop."
Back to the FCB. The last championship title was seven years ago. Do you feel a longing for the championship trophy?
"We certainly have a very good average attendance this season. However, I don't feel a longing for a title, as I think we've come down to earth in recent years. However, we can sense the fans' joy at the fact that the majority of us are playing good football again. But nobody has talked to me about the championship title yet, even though there are certainly fans who dream of it. Everyone is just grateful for the feeling that the club is back on the right track and that everyone is working in the same direction. Spectators who haven't been to the stadium recently are coming back more often. That's the best thing about the situation at the moment."
SDA
