Wöber about Schalke and the World Cup: “At the beginning there were tears”

The KURIER met the 28-year-old at the training camp in the Stubaital. “Things couldn’t have gone much better for me after this year,” said a visibly pleased Wöber about the contract with the Gelsenkirchen team.

The defender had “known for a long time” that the “Leeds chapter” was over. The search for a club was still difficult. “When everyone starts preparing, you get a little out of sorts.” Wöber has a small son: “Of course my wife also wanted to know what happened next.”

When talks with Schalke began a week and a half ago, “we were immediately hooked. We would have loved to fly there on the same day.”

Missed World Cup: “Dream over”

The entire past year with little playing time was not easy for him. “It couldn’t have gone any worse. For me, of course, that was the big motivation World Cup. It was even more bitter that I ended up with a small injury. Then the dream was over.”

“It was very hard at the beginning. When it was final, there were a few tears shed.” When your friends in America stand together and sing the anthem, you get emotional again and think, my head should pop up somewhere. At least I could in the World Cup qualification do my part, even if it was only two games.” And the goal is to be there again in September.

He is now “all the happier that I can now close the chapter and open a new one at Schalke, which will hopefully be much, much more positive.”

Schalke 04: “Little Austria”

You “immediately feel comfortable” at Schalke. The club has “a lot of Austrian connections”, like other clubs in the German Bundesliga. “Many also go to Austria for training camps.” At the debut there was – traditionally – a singing performance by the newcomer. From “Wonderwall” to “I am from Austria”. “Close your eyes and go through,” comments Wöber.

He didn’t take much vacation before arriving in the Stubaital. Rehab for his injury was followed by individual training and then three weeks of training at the Younion camp for unaffiliated footballers. “I’m pretty good at it. But if you know the idea of ​​the game at Schalke that Miron (Muslic, note) and his team want to play, you know that it’s very intense. I’m definitely still missing a little something.” But he still has a month “before things really get going.”