Philipp Treu on playing for Jürgen Klopp's Germany and Freiburg's perfect start
A winning, table-topping start to the season with Freiburg, followed by a first senior international call-up from new Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp: life could hardly be better for Philipp Treu. The 25-year-old right-back spoke to the Bundesliga before his place in Klopp's 44-man squad was confirmed.
Find out who else Jürgen Klopp has picked!
Bundesliga: Freiburg have played six matches so far this season, winning all six in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Conference League. You're top of the Bundesliga, with 10 goals scored and one conceded. How do you rate this record-breaking start?
Philipp Treu: "It was a positive start to the season for all of us, but this was thanks to the hard work we put in during pre-season. The [UEFA Europa League] final we lost at the end of last season was still in the back of our minds and we wanted to do better this season. I think we picked up where we left off last season and have even improved. It’s great how we have started the first six games, but we want to keep going."
Bundesliga: These are all impressive figures, and now here's the 'but': the opponents were Motherwell (twice), a mid-table side in Scotland, Fortuna Düsseldorf, a mid-table side in the third division, Werder Bremen, who've had a slow start, promoted Paderborn, who haven't scored any goals so far, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, who are in the midst of a full-blown crisis - so there hasn't really been a strong opponent among them yet. Does this perception also form part of the assessment of the status quo?
Treu: "I think we can all put it into perspective and Freiburg is always a club that approaches everything with humility. [Sporting director] Klemens Hartenbach came into the dressing room after the first game and told us we still had 37 points to win, and that is the attitude we have.
"We first want to get to 40 points, but we now have a tough task ahead of us against Frankfurt. It’s never easy away in Frankfurt and they just had a very good game against Mainz, so we need to take the momentum into that one."
Watch: Onwards and upwards for Freiburg
Bundesliga: Another impressive aspect of your team is the way you have handled the squad situation. The outstanding [Johan] Manzambi has left, so [Yannik] Engelhardt has simply stepped in to fill the gap. The club's record appearance-maker Christian Günter, and the all-time top scorer Vincenzo Grifo now play only a minor role in terms of playing time – and you and Yuito Suzuki are more than making up for it.
How do you manage firstly to put together such a squad? And secondly, elsewhere, there'd be an uproar if veteran players such as Günter and Grifo were almost exclusively left on the bench. With you, it's completely calm. How does that work?
Treu: "I think this is what has set Freiburg apart in the last few years and it’s part of the Freiburg DNA. As players, we can be happy for a teammate who is currently doing well but when we are on the training pitch, we are extremely competitive. Freiburg has also developed to such an extent that there are two good players for every position and you can feel how we are all pushing one another to our limits.
"We always have to bring our best and I think this is what improves a team over time. In terms of the experienced players, they are not moping and, in fact, it’s the exact opposite. Günter and Grifo are also giving everything in training even if they're not happy, but they see the whole picture. It is very special here and it's something that we all carry. It’s great to see how well it’s working at the moment."
Bundesliga: To what extent does this very special footballing environment, with its calm and unhurried atmosphere, help you perform at your best?
Treu: "If you compare it to Hamburg, it’s definitely completely different. At the open training sessions in Hamburg, you had seven camera crews, whereas in Freiburg you are happy if anybody turns up. We can work here in peace and take things a step at a time, while slowly but surely winning games.
"It’s a lot of fun at the moment and when there is not so much of a media presence, a player doesn’t have to think about it as much and can just get on with his work. You can put in performances and just concentrate on yourself, while pushing all the other things to the side. It’s certainly something nice about Freiburg."
Bundesliga: Week in, week out, you put in strong performances at right-back, and that's a position that's been the subject of debate in Germany for years. Against this backdrop, what would a call-up from the new national team coach Jürgen Klopp mean to you?
Treu: "I would be delighted because it’s something you dream about as a little boy. I watched national team games with my family at live screenings, so we will see what happens on Thursday."
Bundesliga: Have you been in touch with him yet?
Treu: "Yes, we have been in contact. It was an honour to be phoned up by the national team coach and we had a nice chat where we got to know each other."
Bundesliga: Who else in Germany, apart from Philipp Lahm, could actually serve as a role model in the right-back position?
Treu: "[Joshua] Kimmich is a role model in many aspects and I find it amazing how he can play in different positions and knows exactly what to do in each position. I often look to Kimmich but obviously Philipp Lahm was also a role model when I was younger. I wasn’t somebody who started as a striker – I was a right back from relatively early on, so Philipp Lahm was always somebody I looked up to."
Bundesliga: Who are the international right backs from whom you like to take inspiration?
Treu: "To be honest, I don’t really have any role models internationally at the moment. I used to really like watching Dani Alves because he was such a fighter, but I don’t think you can call him a role model anymore because he was in prison, so I'm bit careful with that. However, I liked watching him back in the day."
Bundesliga: What role do your coaches play in your development? In particular Christian Streich and Julian Schuster, given that you have had experience with both. Can you name one thing from each of them that has helped you progress in your development, or is helping you to do so?
Treu: "I think it's very interesting in Freiburg that the foundations and the principles are already fostered at academy level. All of the coaches in the academy are briefed on the philosophy of the first team, so Christian Streich certainly built something incredible here. It’s almost like a thread that Julian Schuster has now taken on, so if you've been here since academy level, then you can take those principles with you as you go.
"These players know exactly what they have to do and what Julian Schuster is doing at the moment is creating an environment where players can put in incredible performances. He has a laid-back approach, but you can also tell that he was previously captain of this team. You can see how he is able to read a team and has a sense for the players. I think this is what currently sets him apart."
Bundesliga: Isn't it amazing that we are actually allowed to talk about such positive things here? It's great that we can talk about a steady career path that is always on the up and which shows no signs of stopping.
Treu: "I sometimes get time to reflect when on holiday and then I have to pinch myself about how far I have come in the last four or five years. It has been all positive, but I also know what it is like if things are not going so well. I have to be ready for this and I have to give everything every day to make sure things keep going well. I know where I have come from and I know things will not always be positive, but I will keep working hard and keep believing."
Bundesliga: How difficult was it as a young person to try to explain to your parents that you wanted to become a professional footballer? What kind of resistance do you face? How did you perhaps persuade mum and dad to support you on your journey?
Treu: "My family has been instrumental in me getting to where I am. They have supported me from day one and have gone on this journey with me. At the age of 16, I moved out and went to boarding school in Leipzig, where things did not go smoothly at the start. I was mostly a substitute in the U16s and U17s, even though I felt I should be starting games because I had moved so far away from home.
"These are all hurdles that I had to overcome, but they made me into the player that I am today. From an early age, I had to come to terms with not playing every game and how to react to that and to fall back on my family support during bad periods or during key decisions. My family always supported me amazingly, even from afar, and it’s nice to have such a strong family unit and a sense of togetherness. I know I can always share my problems with my family because they are always ready to listen and support me."
Bundesliga: Did you ever have to convince your parents when you said that you wanted to turn professional? Did your mum ever tell you to get qualifications instead or did your parents object? How did you convince them?
Treu: "Yes, there were some reservations but I told my mum to stay calm because I knew I could do it. At some point they suggested I do something else alongside football and I admit that it is completely normal for parents to be concerned and wonder what else their son might be able to do.
"I had those thoughts too, but I also had a decent understanding of my own ability and what I was capable of. I knew that I could achieve it if I put everything into it and that is how I was always able to reassure my mum. Now I'm sitting on this stool and my parents are definitely very proud."
Bundesliga: Your former St. Pauli teammate Hauke Wahl once said that you were the most down-to-earth and positive lad he had ever met. You really couldn’t ask for a nicer thing to be said about yourself. How does this wonderful character trait help you in professional football?
Treu: "It’s nice to hear from Hauke and give him my best regards. I think this down-to-earth nature comes from my parents because they both still work in the medical profession and when I see what they do every day, what energy they have to invest, and what they are confronted with every day, then it is very humbling.
"I can learn a lot from my parents in terms of what it is to live a real life and what can happen in normal life away from this football bubble. You see what is happening in the hospitals and how much the employees have to work, and how important health is. I found this very grounding and so I recognise where I come from. I am able to reflect on the fact that football is great, but it’s not real life."
Bundesliga: How much do your parents’ jobs influence you? They both work in the medical sector in a hospital and they both deal with worries and illnesses every day. This means they have to be caring, helpful, and attentive. How did that sort of thing rub off on you as a boy?
Treu: "Definitely. You can sense it in the stories about what my parents have to face on a daily basis so it has definitely shaped me."
Bundesliga: Were you ever in hospital with them? Did you ever see that? How much did it affect you?
Treu: "I did follow my dad around at some point, but of course there is not much you are allowed to touch as a young child. It was exciting but also a little frightening to see all of the worries and illnesses, so it was enough for me at some point. I was allowed a little insight into what they do, so I know what happens there."
Bundesliga: Thousands of children and young people who were part of an academy never gp on to become professionals. Perhaps one or two percent make it, no matter how big their dream might have been. You have also been through several regional academies and you also had your share of problems. Which phase was the hardest for you, and how did you manage to cope with your doubts?
Treu: "I left home and went to Leipzig at a young age and things did not go so well, but I was able to come to terms with that. It is maybe a strength and a weakness of mine, but I am always able to talk difficult stages through with friends and family. Sometimes I let it eat away at me too much, but I was always convinced that I could make it and that I was good enough to keep up with the others in training.
"I used to have to carry the burden that I was a late bloomer because I was very small and all of the other players seemed to have already matured by the U17s. It was difficult for me as a defender because, as a small player, I was never going to win a duel against a big midfielder.
"However, year on year, I was able to catch up and I was also always able to keep up on a footballing level. I might have even been better than the others, but physically I was a bit behind and I always noticed that. I always told myself that I could do it and that I would overtake the others once I had my growth spurt. I knew I would be able to look in the rearview mirror at the others who had already grown up and this is what ended up happening."
Bundesliga: As I said at the start, the opponents you have faced so far haven't been among the top teams in the league. Now, however, you are up against a club that certainly has the ambition to challenge at the top.
How difficult will the match against Eintracht Frankfurt be? In Noah Atubolu you will be playing against someone who grew up here at the youth academy in Freiburg and who is absolutely adored here. What sort of match will it be against someone who still holds Freiburg close to his heart and who is absolutely adored by you all?
Treu: "It’s very special because I've known him since he was as young lad standing in goal in the youth teams and have seen how he worked his way up here at Freiburg. It’s an unbelievable story and everyone in his district of Weingarten talks about him and is happy for him, even if he is now at Frankfurt. We are all happy for him and are looking forward to seeing him again. Of course, we want to win the game and hopefully we will be able to score a few goals against him."
Bundesliga: Will Frankfurt be the toughest test so far this season?
Treu: "Yes, definitely. It's always difficult to play against Frankfurt, especially away. I really like their stadium and they have great fans. It will be a tough test, but we are on a good run so we do not have to hide at all. We will travel there full of confidence and then we will see what happens on Saturday."
