Ermin Demirovic on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Hasan Salihamidzic and his route to Freiburg
From RB Leipzig's youth academy to Freiburg, via spells in Spain, France and Switzerland, Ermedin Demirovic has already picked up a wealth of experience, despite being just 23.
In an exclusive bundesliga.com interview, the Bosnia & Herzegovina forward talks of his route to the top, why Hasan Salihamidzic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are his idols, and where he gets his nickname from…
bundesliga.com: What will you be fighting for during these last few games?
Ermedin Demirovic: "You could say that the season is now over; you cannot really go up or down anymore. But we, at the club, want to win every game. That's our goal. We're ambitious enough to say that the season's not over yet. I think everyone that knows or has seen Christian Streich from afar can understand that he is ambitious and that he will not accept doing anything less than our best. We take it seriously and want to win every game that's left."
bundesliga.com: Theoretically, you can still qualify for Europe – do you still have hope?
Demirovic: "I think there's always hope. If you look at the table, there aren’t too many points left. We have to admit that there were some dropped points this year, points that we probably shouldn’t have lost. That's why I don’t think a lot of people still believe [we can qualify], but hope will always remain."
bundesliga.com: You've replaced Nils Petersen in attack – how does that feel?
Demirovic: "Good question! I think 'replaced' sounds a bit... I don't know how to react to that. I'm obviously pleased to be involved so much. I knew from the beginning that I would have competition together with Nils. I have huge respect for him. I observe him a lot in training sessions. That's why I don't want to put a negative light on that. I'm glad to be playing. I'm pleased to have that position in attack for myself and to be able to help the team on the pitch."
bundesliga.com: Before your first appearance, there was a long conversation between you and Nils Petersen. What did he tell you during that walk?
Demirovic: "Yes, that became a topic. Of course, we take walks with the team where we talk. I've always had a good relationship with Nils. It was just about normal things. He has a lot more experience than I playing in the Bundesliga. He had played against Augsburg several times so he knew how to help me, saying 'the defender defends this way, he dribbles like this, the other one is a bit slower' and so on. They were just individual tips that he wanted to give me in terms of giving me confidence for the game."
bundesliga.com: What does that say about him?
Demirovic: "It shows the personality that he has. He's such a positive human being. He could have said nothing at that point, knowing I would be his competition. He knew that someone was now coming, possible to take his place. It shows his humility. He's a great person. A great guy. There are not many who could handle a situation like this in a similar way. He can and that makes me happy."
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bundesliga.com: So far, you have 6 assists and 4 goals - that makes you one of the top scorers in the team - how does that feel?
Demirovic: "It's a great feeling, obviously. You can help the team this way. Obviously, I would have liked to have scored more goals by this stage, however, I'm still very satisfied with how the season has gone up to this point. That makes me happy, of course."
bundesliga.com: Your first Bundesliga goal was against Hertha Berlin in December last year - what was that feeling like?
Demirovic: "It's an incredible feeling, of course. I had a couple of games beforehand and, as a striker, you always hope that the day will come. When it did, it was an indescribable feeling. I usually celebrate differently though. I still watch the videos and, in retrospect, I still have to laugh about that celebration. You could see how delighted I was. It was pure emotions. Like I said, as a child, I followed the Bundesliga. I had played against Hertha a lot. I remember thinking that during the youth teams, Hertha were always good opponents to play against. We got a lot of wins against them. I scored a lot against them as well. I was extremely happy. It was incredible. Describing it in words is very difficult. It was pure joy."
bundesliga.com: Your nickname is 'the Boxer'. Where did that come from?
Demirovic: "A lot of people used to call me that in St. Gallen. It's also the reason for my celebration. The boxing celebration is part of who I am. It has to do with the path that has taken me to where I am now. Generally. From back during my school days to walking on the street. Wherever I went, I channeled that into me because I've always needed to ‘box’ my way out of situations ever since I was a kid. I try to do the same on the pitch as well: to box myself out of difficult situations. I love the sport as well. I follow boxing. That's how it came about. That's how the nickname came to be as well."
Watch: Highlights of Freiburg's big win over Hertha
bundesliga.com: Tell us about your past. How was it back then?
Demirovic: "There are so many stories. Me and my family - we've always been such a tight team. No one could pull us apart. They tried back in my school days, trying to say that I had aggression issues or that I wasn't good enough at school, that I was only messing around and had no mind. That made me become cheekier as I matured. I used to say 'I will become a professional footballer'. I used to hear how I wouldn't be able to have everything. I used to hear a lot of negativity. I used to counter by saying 'I will. I will make it, don't worry about it!'. Obviously, it does sound a bit arrogant but that is how resolute I remained after the things I went through in school. I wasn't allowed to go on school trips because they were worried I would do stupid things. When I moved to Leipzig, I started school there as well and would be met with two or three insults. I wasn't the type to keep my mouth shut. It wasn't always positive either but it was difficult at times. The fact that my parents were still in Hamburg and I had moved out at the age of 16. We are extremely family-oriented. My father was constantly told to watch out for me. Of course, I did some stupid things but I knew that my father was always behind me, regardless of what I did. He would always back me. I was once thrown off my bicycle by a teacher at school. I don't think I have ever seen him so angry. The way to school usually takes 15 minutes. He was there in five to have my back. It toughened my instinct. There were moments with my parents where they said 'You will not be a footballer'. They told me I had to do more to achieve that. It's always more difficult for people who are not as hyped at a younger age. It's more difficult to become something big.
"I bought myself this parachute to improve my pace while running, elastic braces for my pace as well. We did so much to show the people that I will still make it. That's why I feel like the nickname 'the Boxer' fits so well."
bundesliga.com: You were in RB Leipzig's youth academy - to what extent did this time shape you?
Demirovic: "Extremely. Without Leipzig, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have a lot to be grateful to them for. Like I said, they didn’t build too much for me in Hamburg. Unlike later on when it started to go well. I took the step in moving to Leipzig. They helped me a lot in terms of pace, professionalism - everything really. I lived alone without my parents. I matured as a person. I was more mature. That time definitely influenced me."
bundesliga,com: What can you tell us about Hasan Salihamidzic?
Demirovic: "I respect him a lot - as a fellow countryman. He was a great player. He used to have contact with my parents back in Hamburg. Having migrated to Hamburg, he had a lot to do with my parents. He lived with them. They helped him a lot back then, I think. When my parents talk about him, they talk with enormous respect. They used to go out together. He used to join them but would never drink alcohol. He would get up at 8 in the morning and go running. Those are the kind of stories I heard about him. When he then moved to Bayern and would come to Hamburg, he would visit. We would go with him to the hotel and take pictures. I only have positive things to say about him. He's my compatriot. He'll always have my backing."
bundesliga.com: Is Salihamidzic a role model for you?
Demirovic: "Definitely! Definitely. I would talk about him all the time when I was little. I would talk about him to my parents. They would tell me his story so often. I wasn't the type to go partying a lot. I also don't drink alcohol. Whenever I did go out partying, there were times my father would come to me and say 'don't you also want to go running? Don't you also want to what he used to do? Don't you also want to develop yourself in the same manner?'. Of course he's an idol. Like I said, he showed up with a sport's bag in Hamburg and now he's a manager at one of the biggest clubs in the world and was an incredible player. So, yes, he is an idol for me."
bundesliga.com: You met him during the reverse fixture in Munich - what was that like?
Demirovic: "You have to imagine me still as that little child who was nervous to take a picture with him. When we played against Bayern this time, I played as well. Because I respect him so much - I'm not normally a shy person - but when I stand in front of him, it feels like I'm standing in front of Cristiano Ronaldo or something. I'm nervous and shy but I still have to go up to him and say hello from my parents. I even asked him if he still remembered my parents. He told me "how could I ever forget them?". That says a lot if you look at his career and the fact that we've not been in contact on a daily basis. It's huge to hear him say that he remembers them. It's definitely something beautiful."
bundesliga.com: Why is Zlatan Ibrahimovic your number one idol?
Demirovic: "Ibra just because he's Ibra. His story says it all. I see myself in him. I know that in terms of football he has more up his sleeve. On top of that, his arrogance shouldn't be allowed by anyone else because it wouldn't be accepted, but he can because he has been doing it his entire life. I don't think it is a façade. I think that's simply the way he ticks. I talked a lot to Rade Krunic during the international break. He plays with him at AC Milan. I asked him so many times to tell me about him. I wanted to know how he ticks. Is he really the way everyone knows him? He said yes but at the same time he's also a great teammate. They used to say he was not good enough or whatever. He still managed and is or was one of the best strikers in the world. These are things that are incredible, I find. That's why he's my idol."
bundesliga.com: What do you think about Robert Lewandowski?
Demirovic: "Also a lot! Definitely at the moment and for the last couple years, he's the best striker in the world. I'll admit that he's even better than Ibrahimovic at the moment. He's another who's worked for what he's achieved. He shows year to year and game to game that he's the best. He's so hungry for goals, it's incredible. I think he might even go crazy if he misses a chance in training sessions. That’s what he seems like. He's so hungry for it, it's almost an addiction. He's addicted to scoring. It's crazy. Really. Huge respect for him. A great player."
bundesliga.com: The win against Dortmund – how was that?
Demirovic: "It was extremely nice. It was my first game against Dortmund. Dortmund are just as big a club as Bayern. When you play against them, you know you are not going to be the favourites. That week was crazy because even in training we noticed something was happening. We were so motivated and raring to go. We were so there on the pitch. We were possibly a bit lucky as well that Dortmund were not at their best but on that day, we were so on point to win that game. We deserved it. After the game, we were sitting in the changing room. I was talking to Luki Höler and saying: "We actually just beat Dortmund". We all laughed. They said to me: "You just played against Dortmund for the first time and you win straight away. We didn't win eight games or so and you come in and win." It was definitely a very nice moment."
bundesliga.com: What do you make of Erling Haaland?
Demirovic: "He's also insane. I think what he is doing will lead him to, one day becoming the best striker in the world if Lewandowski ever stops scoring 40 goals a season. What he's doing is incredible because he's extremely young but doesn't shy away from anything. He shows that wherever he goes. He did it at Salzburg. He's doing it for the national team. He's doing it for Dortmund. I think he's a very important tool for Dortmund at the moment. They can rely on him. I sometimes don't think it's fair reading the things that are being said about him if he doesn't score for three games, calling him a fluke. So, I'm happy to see he then goes on and scores a hattrick. Stuff like this makes me happy. I'm the type of person that wishes the best for people that really give it their all because they deserve it."
bundesliga.com: What are your intentions with the national team?
Demirovic: "We want to take part in the European tournaments. That's our big target. We didn’t make it last year. It was close in the play-offs. We were knocked out. We want to do better this qualification round. We have some young players in the team now. My situation is to wait behind [Edin] Dzeko for my chance and when I do get my chance, to help. In terms of being with the national team, as a kid, after playing, you call your mother and she's crying because you were standing there, playing… You get goosebumps as a player. You lay there in bed thinking: 'I really made it to play for Bosnia’s national team'. It's incredible. I cannot describe it. I would love to but it's just proudness and an incredible feeling."
bundesliga.com: What is your favourite moment in the Bundesliga up to now?
Demirovic: "My first goal against Hertha. That was a moment that I'll never forget."
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