“Werder is a big challenge”

Interview with summer signing Johan Mina
Johan Mina will be the first ever Ecuadorian to play for Werder (Photo: imago).
interview
Tuesday, 09.06.2020 / 18:00

Johan Mina is the first ever Ecuadorian player to put on the Green-White jersey of SV Werder Bremen. The 18-year-old will take his first steps in European football when he makes the switch to Bremen in the summer.

WERDER.DE spoke to the attacker about his move to the Weser, his expectations and his Werder namesake.

WERDER.DE: Johan, congratulations on signing your new contract. How does it feel to have signed for Werder?

Johan Mina: “Thank you! It’s a surreal feeling, that has makes me and my family very proud. Not every young footballer from Ecuador gets the chance to go to Europe and make his dream come true. So I really want to take this opportunity. The interest from Werder is of course a recognition of the hard work I have put in over the last few years. But at the same time it’s also a big challenge; one that I am now really looking forward to.”

WERDER.DE: Why did you decide to join SV Werder? What convinced you?

Johan Mina: “First of all Werder is a big club and is also well-known here in South America for its work with youth players. Bremen has always used lots of young players in the past, who have developed really well.”

Mina: “Pizarro is known all over South America”

Johan Mina enjoyed a successful U17 World Cup campaign in Brazil.

WERDER.DE: You visited the wohninvest WESERSTADION for the win against FC Augsburg. What did you make of it?

Johan Mina: It was a great experience; it was really impressive. Particularly the fans: before the game a sea of green and white poured into the stadium and then of course the atmosphere during the game. Then I briefly imagined what it would be like if I came here myself. This visit definitely contributed to my decision to join Werder.”

WERDER.DE: As a South American you must have enjoyed the atmosphere when Claudio Pizarro came on…

Johan Mina: Before the game I noticed that almost every second fan you see is wearing a Pizarro kit. Whether it had #4 or #14 on the back of the shirt, always Claudio Pizarro. That clearly shows just how popular he is here. Then when he was substituted on the fans celebrated as loudly as if a goal had been scored! Everyone in the stadium stood-up. That gave me goosebumps.”

WERDER.DE: Claudio Pizarro is a legend both at Werder and in Germany; for a long time he was the highest foreign goal scorer in the league and has now become the oldest ever scorer in Bundesliga history. Is he well-known in Ecuador as well?

Johan Mina: “Yes of course, Claudio Pizarro is well-known across the whole of South America. He has achieved an incredible amount and has had a very impressive career. When you talk about Werder, the first thing you think of is Claudio Pizarro.”

Although I could only train for a long time, neither I nor my family ever doubted me
Johan Mina

WERDER.DE: Due to the current situation you will first move to Germany in July. What’s your plan until then? What are you doing at the moment?

Johan Mina: “I’m continuing to work on my fitness and enjoying the time with my friends and family before I move to Bremen for the start of pre-season.”

WERDER.DE: And what’s your plan for the coming year? What do you hope to achieve at Werder?

Johan Mina: “As a young player, the most important thing for me is that I can develop. I would like to ‘break-through’ as quickly as possible, as they say. So to integrate myself into the team, to get to know the city, to learn the language and of course to try to help the team out on the pitch. Everything else will come with time.”

WERDER: Despite not playing at club level for the past two years, you took part in two important tournaments for Ecuador: the U17 Copa America and U17 World Cup. What were you able to learn and take with you from these tournaments?

Johan Mina: “They were important experiences for me and, above all, of course the chance to gain match practice. Perhaps that’s why I worked even harder in both tournaments. Although I could only train for a long time, neither I nor my family ever doubted me and that helped me a lot. I tried to concentrate on what I do best: play football.”

WERDER.DE: What are your strengths and which areas of your game are you looking to improve?

Johan Mina: “Normally that should be judged by others. I always find it difficult to talk about myself. I think I have good awareness during the game and can put my teammates into good positions. My long shots and finishing are also quite good. I definitely want to continue working on improving my weaker right foot.”

Mina: “You can only dream of having such a career”

WERDER.DE: Who is your footballing role model?

Johan Mina: "Kaká. I have always really liked his play style, most of all his acceleration and his finishing at such a high speed. There aren’t many players who could control a ball and provide the assists that he did.”

WERDER.DE: Your father, Joaquin Mina, was also a footballer. He won the title in Ecuador in 1993 and played for the youth national team. What have you learnt from him?

Johan Mina: “My father has always stood out for his ambition and his passion for football and that’s exactly what I’ve learnt from him. With the right attitude, commitment and hard work you can achieve a lot in life.”

WERDER.DE: Your brothers also play football. Are you a football-crazy family?

Johan Mina: “Yes, you could say that! I’m lucky that one of my brothers likes to play as a goalkeeper. So obviously that worked out well. He would go in goal and I would shoot at him one ball at a time. That was good training for my finishing. Unfortunately, due to the current situation (Corona) we haven’t been able to play football together recently. We’re really missing it. But as soon as it’s possible again, you will only be able to find us on the football pitch.”

WERDER.DE: Someone told me that you have or had a nickname. Is that true?

Johan Mina: “I have lots of nicknames (laughs). That depends on which one you mean.”

WERDER.DE: People call you Cocamba, right? What does that mean”

Johan Mina: Yes, that’s true! As a child my hair was always cut really short, so that my head looked like a coconut (in Spanish: Coco). My brother and uncle gave me the nickname and since then people have always called me Cocamba (laughs).”

WERDER.DE: Did you know that you share the same first name as one of Werder’s greatest ever playmakers?

Johan Mina: “Johan Micoud. Yes, I’ve heard that several times already. Micoud was an outstanding footballer and I know that he lead Werder to the double. But I’m a long way away from that. Just as far away as I am from Johan Cruyff, who was the original Johan. Back then, my father used to read a lot about Johan Cruyff and that’s why he gave me the name. They were both two incredible footballers. You can only dream of having a career like that.”

WERDER.DE: Back to your visit to Bremen. What did you see in the Hanseatic city? What do you already know about your new home?

Johan Mina: “Not much. We looked around the city a bit and visited the Bremen Town Musicians. Unfortunately, we were only there for one day but I’m really looking forward to seeing more of the city.”

WERDER.DE: We’ve heard that you really enjoyed the German food during your visit… Tell us, what did you have?

Johan Mina: “Yes, the food was really good! I had something typically German: pork knuckle with chips. It was delicious!”

WERDER.DE: And from the summer you will also have Bremen specialities. Thank you for the interview, Johan!

 
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