Tim Borowski was bid farewell at the last match of the Bundesliga season against Schalke, ending a 15-year era as SV Werder player and seeing the final Green-Whites player leave who won the double...
Tim Borowski was bid farewell at the last match of the Bundesliga season against Schalke, ending a 15-year era as SV Werder player and seeing the final Green-Whites player leave who won the double...
Tim Borowski was bid farewell at the last match of the Bundesliga season against Schalke, ending a 15-year era as SV Werder player and seeing the final Green-Whites player leave who won the double. The 32-year-old "Boro" met up with WERDER.DE at Jürgenshof restaurant, where he signed his first amateur contract, to talk about old memories and review old times.
Hi Tim, back then you signed your first contract here. Today we are looking back on your long career. The farewell after the Schalke match was very emotional. After a couple days have passed, how did it go?
Tim Borowski: That was a very moving moment. Just the fact that Thomas Schaaf gave me the opportunity to bid farewell in a Werder jersey was special. The whole situation moved me, even more than I had thought beforehand. And that was very moving.
And what happens for you now?
Tim Borowski: At the moment I don't know for certain. But I will think about it in peace together with my family. We will analyse the situation and there will be talks with the club and then a decision will be made. Before then, I will use the time to come back down and spend more time with my family.
You came to Bremen back then as a 16-year-old.
Tim Borowski: The dream at the beginning was more of a nightmare. The first half was really horrible. The step was huge. I was away from home, the family and friends. That was very difficult. But Werder did everything they could to make me feel welcome and I made some very, very good friends, whose parents treated me like a stepson. I still have those contacts today.
Sixteen years later, you are looking back on a great career with lots of success and really found a home in Bremen.
Tim Borowski: I had an indescribably wonderful time. I became a German international here, was able to play with some tremendous footballers, like Johan Micoud for example, and got to know some great guys: Owo, Clemens Fritz, Per Mertesacker, Mladen Kristajic, Ismael, Ümit Davala. Those are all really good, intelligent guys.
Was winning the double also your personal Werder highlight? Or what was your most special moment?
Tim Borowski: That is difficult to reduce to one or two games. There were really a lot of great moments. Of course the German DFB Cup final was one of them. Finals are always something special and when you score two goals and with that pick up the double for the first time in club history - that will remain unforgettable. But I also like to look back on Champions League matches against Valencia or Juventus.
Both of those have their own story ...
Tim Borowski: We played a superb game against Juve. Tim Wiese really had a great game and kept us in the game with great saves. But the one mistake cost us moving into the next round.
And the match against Valencia ...
Tim Borowski: Quite a lot happened in that game. It was one of the most intensive Champions League matches I have ever played. Valencia back then was an absolute top team - Spanish champion over Real and Barcelona. They had not lost at home in two years, and we were constantly under pressure but absolutely needed the points to advance. There was everything in that game. They kicked us, spit on us. They did everything they could to shake us, but we had an awesome troop of strong characters who gave their all. And we reached the final 16. But I should not have showed the fist towards the home fans. I think the fans in Valencia still love me.
