WERDER.DE visited Theodor Gebre Selassie in his family's home. In the second part of the exclusive interview the right back reveals what he means when he refers to "Beastmode"...
WERDER.DE visited Theodor Gebre Selassie in his family's home. In the second part of the exclusive interview the right back reveals what he means when he refers to "Beastmode"...
WERDER.DE visited Theodor Gebre Selassie in his family's home. In the second part of the exclusive interview the right back reveals what he means when he uses the hastag #Beastmode, how he spends his free time and why he is so active on social media.
WERDER.DE: Looking at your social media profiles gratefulness is a comon them. Can that be credited to your unusual upbringing?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "Definitely. Retrospectively, I think some players were more talented than me. When you're 15 or 16 enjoying life is usually the first priority. Fortunately, my parents were rather strict. I'm grateful for that. When my friends and teammates went out on Friday night I had to stay home, even if my game was on Sunday. In the end, none of my teammates turned professional - not even in the Czech Republic."

WERDER.DE: A lot of your celebration pictures on Instagram and other channels are accompanied by the iconic hashtag #Beastmode. Can you explain?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "I'm a big Marshawn Lynch fan; he's a running back in the NFL. He's a really crazy guy. I watched a lot of his videos and interviews on YouTube. It refers to him."
WERDER.DE: What's so impressive about him?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "I just really like him. When he's playing there's no way to stop him. Everyone knows what he can do but he just pushes his way through. He's a bit of an unusual guy. For example, he doesn't talk to the media. He's incredible on the pitch though."
WERDER.DE: #Beastmode is also a fashion label. Do you own a piece of that brand?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "I lhad a look but it's too expensive. The clothes would have to be imported from the US."
WERDER.DE: In terms of fashion, your look is defined by print shirts and baseball caps. Is that another passion of yours?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "I wouldn't really call it a passion. I'm not the kind of guy to wear expensive clothes and I don't really enjoy shopping. Leona who makes me buy those shirts and hats (laughs). I love comfortable clothes though."
WERDER.DE: You used to say your hobby was going to the movies. Is that still the case?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "Yes, the cinema is definitely still a hobby of mine. When I lived in the Czech Republic I went three times a week. Unfortunately, the cinemas here often don't show the original English language version of the films. We can't go as often anymore because of Noe, so I watch a lot of TV series' now. For example, I finished "Sons of Anarchy" yesterday."
WERDER.DE: What film or series should the Werder fans watch?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "My favourite film is "Pulp Fiction". I could watch it over and over - I've probably seen it about 15 or 20 times. The dialogue is fantastic. The film employs a quite particular sense of humour that I really like. I know that's not for everyone though."
WERDER.DE: You have a good relationship with the Werder fans and answer their questions on the social media. Why are you so active online?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "I really enjoy it. I think I was the first Czech player to use Twitter. After the games I get a lot of messages and tweets. It really annoys my girlfriend when I'm constantly checking my phone (laughs)."

WERDER.DE: Unlike some of your colleagues, you personally take care of your social media accounts. Can that also be dangerous?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "Of course it's necessary to be careful what you post. There are a lot of people uploading silly stuff and then you can't undo it. Anything that has been put online remains there. I used to tweet a lot of rubbish. I post private photos with my son, but I don't want him or my future wife to be in every other photo. When she was pregnant a Czech tabloid found out from her Instagram profile. You need to be careful about these things."
WERDER.DE: Do you have a favourite social network?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "The most interactions with the fans happen on Twitter. Facebook isn't as popular as it was in 2007 when I started my page. There was noticably more traffic back then. I still answer fans' questions on Facebook though because I've linked my Facebook and Instagram accounts. I don't really post anything specifically targeted for Facebook anymore though."
WERDER.DE: How important are follower numbers to you?
Theodor Gebre Selassie: "It would sound rather self-centred if I said it's a good feeling when more people follow you (laughs). It's a kind of confirmation though. Of course it makes me happy that 12,000 people are interested in what I'm doing on Twitter, but I know to put the number in context. Franco Di Santo has over 100,000 followers. When he was called up to the preliminary World Cup squad for Argentina he gained 30,000 followers. There are players who are more interesting than me (laughs)."
The first part of the interview was published on WERDER.DER on Tuesday and revealed more about Gebre Selassie's role as a father, his unusual journey into professional football and his life off the pitch.
