Heitinga: "We'll have to be wary of Eljero Elia!"

Hertha BSC Berlin's new defender: John Heitinga (Photo: nph).
First Team
Thursday, 21.08.2014 / 13:01

Werder Bremen start their Bundesliga campaign on Saturday (kick-off 3:30pm) with an away tie at Hertha BSC Berlin. The game will see two Dutch internationals go head-to-head...



Werder Bremen start their Bundesliga campaign on Saturday (kick-off 3:30pm) with an away tie at Hertha BSC Berlin. The game will see two Dutch internationals go head-to-head, with John Heitinga, who has moved from FC Fulham to Berlin, and Eljero Elia clashing. WERDER.DE had time with a brief interview with the pair.

Hello John and welcome to the Bundesliga! What encouraged you to make the move to the Bundesliga and Hertha BSC Berlin?

John Heitinga: "Hertha BSC is a great club and Berlin is a wonderful city. The Bundesliga has developed immensely, the stadiums are packed and I am looking forward to the Bundesliga and my debut for Hertha".

Eljero, in 2009 you made the move from FC Twente to the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV. You have now spent five years in Germany's top-flight and have been at Werder since 2012. How do you see the development of the league?

Eljero Elia: "In my opinion, the Bundesliga is the best league in the world. Germany are world champions and most of the players in the national team play in the Bundesliga. That's why I currently consider the Bundesliga to be the best league in the world."

John Heitinga: "Eljero Elia is a very good player."

Last season Werder lost 2-3 against Hertha BSC Berlin (Photo: nph).

There is almost an endless list of great Dutch players who have played in the Bundesliga - or are still playing there - with names such as Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mark van Bommel, Roy Makaay, Youri Mulder or Nigel de Jong springing to mind. Dutch football is very highly respected in Germany - how do people in Holland see German football?

John Heitinga: "It's exactly the same in my homeland. We watch the Bundesliga with the utmost respect and are in awe of the German mentality."

Let's get on to this weekend's Bundesliga start. You did well in the pre-season preparations with Hertha BSC - what are your personal goals for the 2014/15 season?

John Heitinga: "It's important for me to perform well and that we achieve our goals as a team."

Eljero Elia: "We will try to play better football this time around than we did last season. We have more experience within the team and I hope thing work out better that they did last season."

You know one another from the national team and this Saturday, you could well find yourselves clashing directly at the ‘Olympiastadium'. John, what are Elia's special qualities and how do you intend to stop him? And Eljero, where do John's strengths lie?

John Heitinga: "Eljero Elia is a very good player. His greatest strengths are his speed and skill on the ball. He's been playing in the Bundesliga for a few years and he is an experienced international. We will have to be very wary of him!"

Eljero Elia: "He has managed to gather a great deal of experience over the years. Aside from that, he is very clever in tackling. On the whole, he is a very clever defender."

Eljero Elia: "We want to win in Berlin"

Eljero Elia enjoyed a strong pre-season campaign and is now eager to notch up a win with Werder in Berlin on Saturday (Photo: nph).

Eljero, Werder are in the midst of a new beginning. What are the next steps that the team need to make in its development?

Eljero Elia: "We need to continue improving the set mechanisms within the team in order to make the ideal use of our strengths. That worked out very well at times during the pre-season preparations."

John, Hertha BSC are also going through a phase of development and, following last year's promotion, they had a good season. You surely spoke with Jos Luhukay about Hertha BSC's goals for the future before making the move. What did the trainer tell you?

John Heitinga: "Jos Luhukay and I had a very intensive discussion. He told me that he very much wanted me in his team and I didn't need long to consider the offer. Hertha BSC is a club steeped in tradition and they play in a great stadium. We want to create something special in Berlin and I want to be a part of that."

On November 17th, 2015 in Hanover, Germany take on Holland in a friendly international. A good season in the Bundesliga could see you return to the ‚Elftal'. Is the national team still an issue for you?

John Heitinga: "Of course the national team is still an issue for me. It's always something very special to play for your country, but right now I am completely concentrated on Hertha BSC. I intend to give my all for my new club."

In closing, maybe a forecast - how will the game on Saturday finish?

John Heitinga: "We'll hang on to all three points at the ‚Olympiastadium'!"

Eljero Elia: "We will be doing all in our power to win the game and start our Bundesliga campaign successfully. Last year we didn't have much luck on our side, but maybe that will be different this season."

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