Boenisch Column Part 2

Sebastian Boenisch was convincing with his performance and nominated to Poland’s Euro 2012 roster on Sunday.
First Team
Tuesday, 29.05.2012 / 11:24

Every football player should have the chance to play a major international tournament in their home country at least once. And the Euro 2012 is that chance - as well as the career highlight...

Every football player should have the chance to play a major international tournament in their home country at least once. And the Euro 2012 is that chance - as well as the career highlight - for Poland native Sebastian Boenisch. Despite a months-long injury break, the Werder defender has made his way into the preliminary Euro 2012 squad for the tournament co-hosts. Boenisch, who became U21 European champion in 2009 for Germany, will be regularly reporting for WERDER.DE about his experiences with the Polish national team to bring Werder fans closer to the neighbouring country, its people and the football culture there. Have fun!


"Witam Werder fans"!
It was some very tough work against Slovakia, but in the end we were able to win Saturday's test match 1-0. And my plan is on target. Already against Latvia I was in the starting line-up even though many regular starters did not play.

My performances in the test matches were convincing enough for the coaches as the liberating news came on Sunday: I am in the final squad and will play at the European Championship in my own country. I was so happy, you only get a chance like this once in your life. Now I can really go after it and prepare for the tournament with my team.

The change from Werder, where I recently played on the right side, was not that difficult. It won't be a problem. I play with both feet and knew that Frantisek Smuda was planned more for the left side. Basically I am happy that I am even on the team and I don't care as long as I can help the team.

This Saturday we are playing against Andorra. Even though we have a healthy competition on the left side of the defence, with Jakub Wawrzyniak from Legia Warsaw challenging me for the starting spot, I believe I will convince the coach with my qualities in the preparations. I see myself as a key player in this team. And a sign of that will be my language skills, which have drastically improved in the past months. During my rehab stint, I invested a lot of time in that because I know that it's the key to a better team spirit and therefore better performances.

I have also realised how enormously important it is in Poland and how much value they put into me being able to sing the national anthem and that we are not always speaking German with the Polish national team. I spoke to my parents only in Polish. They enthusiastically supported me and also let me know when I reverted back to German. It was fun, I also discovered a little bit more of my own identity. I also see it with Werder how strange I find it that players who are here four or five years and cannot speak German and don't do anything about it. That is not right. You have to fit into a structure and language is very important there. Of course I really have to concentrate when the coach is discussing tactics in Polish, but I am getting better and better.

At the latest by the start of the tournament, I have to know at all the important terms in Polish: left, right, forward, shift! If we don't take that to heart then we will be speaking five languages in the Polish national team. I don't want to be part of that problem and want to be a role model. I am very motivated there. People may always say that football language is international but if all of a sudden at the highest level you have to think about talking to your teammate in Polish, German or French, then it's too late. And of course you have to throw in two words in English as well. But basically, everything has gotten so fast that you have to concentrate on other things than the language. We have to be able to take care of that in our national team as well.

Greetings to the Weser!
Do zobaczenia, Basti

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