Levent Aycicek waited a long time for this situation. As a 17-year-old, the wily playmaker and freshly-crowned world champion made the jump to the professional team and was...
Levent Aycicek waited a long time for this situation. As a 17-year-old, the wily playmaker and freshly-crowned world champion made the jump to the professional team and was...
Levent Aycicek waited a long time for this situation. As a 17-year-old, the wily playmaker and freshly-crowned world champion made the jump to the professional team and was considered as one of the biggest hopes for the Green-Whites' offensive midfield. But a ripped-up knee cost him a total of 18 months. Aycicek has remained injury-free since the beginning of the year. But the 20-year-old midfielder hasn't really made his breakthrough until Viktor Skripnik took over the post as Werder head coach a few weeks ago.
WERDER.DE: You have taken a major step forward in the last couple of weeks. Your first start was against Chemnitz in the German Cup and then you started two more times, even scoring a goal. One could say that things are going nearly perfectly for you at the moment?
Levent Aycicek: "Of course a huge dream came true. Things went well for me against Paderborn, but the whole team was excellent. That was really quite a bit of newness at one time. Jumping up on the fence, the hopes of the fans and on and on ..."
WERDER.DE: How are you dealing with it?
Aycicek: "I was raised by my parents to always remain modest. I know from my own experience how fast you can be out once again. You only need an injury. I know therefore that that was only a beginning, nothing more."
WERDER.DE: With the defeat in Frankfurt, the team dropped back down to second to last in the table. What is your goal until the winter break?
Aycicek: "The short-term goal is to not be in the relegation ranks by the winter break so that we can go into the preparations for the second half with a bit more calm."
WERDER.DE: Viktor Skripnik emphasised that the home matches are especially important for that. The opponent on Saturday is Hanover 96, a club you know well. Together with your brother Deniz, you played for Hanover in their youth ranks ...
Aycicek: "I was trained there for three years. My brother and I went to Hanover together after our father had trained us. It is definitely going to be a special contest for me. If I can play and we could get a victory, that would of course be a highlight."
WERDER.DE: You were born in Nienburg, which is located relatively in between Bremen and Hanover. Do you feel more like someone from Bremen or Hanover?
Aycicek: "I am more from Bremen. Werder is my home. I lived in the boarding school over the East Curve for five years and feel really at home with the club. Back home though, most of the people feel more like they're from Hanover. Even most of my buddies are Hanover fans. Many will come to the stadium on the weekend and most have even said that Werder can win as long as I play (laughs). Of course, I like that."
WERDER.DE: Most recently the team has gotten home wins over Stuttgart and Paderborn. What do you think about your chances for Saturday?
Aycicek: "We are strong at home with the fans behind us. We have shown that a number of times already. I hope and believe that we will win. A victory would be enormously important."
