One year ago, Raphael Wolf transferred from SV Kapfenberg in Austria to SV Werder. Instead of collecting Bundesliga appearances, the keeper amassed rehab minutes after two long-term injuries. Now, he's close to returning to team training...
One year ago, Raphael Wolf transferred from SV Kapfenberg in Austria to SV Werder. Instead of collecting Bundesliga appearances, the keeper amassed rehab minutes after two long-term injuries. Now, he's close to returning to team training...
One year ago, Raphael Wolf transferred from SV Kapfenberg in Austria to SV Werder. Instead of collecting Bundesliga appearances, the keeper amassed rehab minutes after two long-term injuries. Now, he's close to returning to team training. "Raphael is a good guy. You can see immediately that he's a good keeper. The movements are good," said Werder goalkeeper coach Marco Langner. WERDER.DE met with the 25-year-old at the training camp in Blankenhain for an interview.
WERDER.DE: Hello Raphael, after a five-month injury break for an ACL injury in your left knee, you have been back on the pitch since the beginning of preparations. How are you doing?
Raphael Wolf: I feel good and am back at goalkeeper training as much as possible. I want to get back to training with the full team in early August. Luckily there are only a few days before that.
WERDER.DE: So, are you fully satisfied with the healing process?
Raphael Wolf: Everything went okay. Of course I was a bit impatient and wanted to do this or that a bit quicker because I felt good. But that is normal, even if you can't really understand everything at the moment. The healing process has different plans.
WERDER.DE: You have been with SV Werder for a year now. Would you call it a wasted year?
Raphael Wolf: Not a wasted year! The decision for Werder is still the right one after one year. But certainly I had imagined it differently. A lot happened in the year.
WERDER.DE: You are talking about the two injuries?
Raphael Wolf: If you put both injuries (hip operation & ACL) together, I missed eight months in the first year. It was naturally a step back for me, but I cannot change that. But it was also a bizarre year regardless: Klaus Allofs left the club, Thomas Schaaf is also gone and privately I had to deal with the death of my father.
WERDER.DE: That begs the question that you must be looking forward to a bit of "normality" in the second year?
Raphael Wolf: I really can't wait to be training with the team, feeling the pressure and playing games - I really miss that feeling. I just would like to play without thinking about my health. But now with the coaching change, there are new aspects again.
WERDER.DE: What are your next steps? Getting fit and then?
Raphael Wolf: Getting fit is way up there. Then I will play the odd game here or there. And when I am fit again, I want to give competition to ‘Miele' - even though the coach has decided on him. I can understand that but naturally I would like to play. I am too young to just sit on the bench.
