Of course, talent is essential and helps a lot. But to make it in professional football, you also need a clear head. Marco Friedl has both.
Of course, talent is essential and helps a lot. But to make it in professional football, you also need a clear head. Marco Friedl has both.
In part one of an interview with WERDER.DE, the young Austrian speaks about his childhood, idols, and his early experiences at FC Bayern Munich.
WERDER.DE: Marco, how did it all start for you with football in your hometown of Kirchbichl?
Marco Friedl: “My family was very enthusiastic about sport. My father and grandfather played football for a long time. As soon as I could walk, I had a ball at my feet (laughs). I also went skiing from a young age, but it was always clear that I would choose football."
WERDER.DE: Which is the opposite of your sister Stephanie, who is six years older than you…
Marco Friedl: “She was a successful skier, but she decided not to pursue a career in sport. Nowadays she is a nurse and has just become a mother."
WERDER.DE: Back to your footballing childhood. What do you remember?
Marco Friedl: “After school, I often went to my grandfather’s and trained with him. When I was small, the garden was big enough. Later on, I only needed to head 200m down the street and I was on the football pitch for training. I loved playing football with all my friends; we had a lot of fun and all the parents understood each other. One of my best friends still plays for SV Kirchbichl today, so I still try to keep in contact with the club as much as possible.”
WERDER.DE: Who were your idols?
Marco Friedl: “I used to really like Arsenal and Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were my idols. Later on, it was also Fernando Torres during his time at Chelsea.”
WERDER.DE: What did your parents give you in life?
Marco Friedl: “Unbelievable support, above all. They always said to me, ‘as long as you’re enjoying it and are taking your football seriously, we will always support you.’ My parents always gave up their free time for me, and their advice was always: ‘Stay as you are. Be grateful for everything that you experience and achieve. Stay grounded and never forget who has helped you along the way and stood on your side. I’m very lucky to have such wonderful parents.”
WERDER.DE: After a short spell at FC Kufstein as a child, you joined FC Bayern. How did that come about?
Marco Friedl: “With the Tirol team, we played in a tournament held in Rosenheim, where I was voted the best player. FC Bayern were there and that is how the first contact came about. Shortly after I travelled to the training centre in Munich and a little later – in the U11 – joined the club properly.”
The older I got, the more journeys we made.Marco Friedl
WERDER.DE: How was that at the time?
Marco Friedl: “I understood what was going on, but I couldn’t fully grasp it. I was a kid who loved playing football and obviously I had the dream of becoming a professional footballer. However, I didn’t know what would happen in the years after I joined Bayern – how my life would change. But in Munich, just by the way the club talks to young players and the way it deals with them, trains them, I immediately felt that it is very different from my previous clubs. It was about developing players, progress every day to help as many as possible reach the professional game. From the very first day, I really enjoyed my time at Bayern, and also experienced the negative aspects.”
WERDER.DE: Such as?
Marco Friedl: "What was tough for me at the beginning was the sorting of the players. At U12 level decisions were made on who would stay and who had to leave the club. I lost a few friends then."
WERDER.DE: Did you ever feel the pressure to succeed?
Marco Friedl: “In the first two or three years, I was just having fun. I never thought that I might have to leave. Then at U14 level, I thought for the first time that things could get difficult. In the U16s I didn't play much over the year and I started to fear that I could be one of the ones who had to leave at the end of the season. Luckily, it didn’t come to that.”
WERDER.DE: Your parents brought you to Munich regularly for years for training – that’s 100 kilometres each way. How was that to manage?
Marco Friedl: “T begin with, I had training three times a week but I only attended twice. The older I got, the more journeys we made. I’d have school until 15:30 and my mother or father would pick me up. In the car, I’d eat whatever my mum had cooked and training began at 17:00 in Munich. After a shower, it was time to go back. I would eat in the car again and then there or once I got home I’d do my homework. After that, it was time for bed.”
WERDER.DE: So there wasn’t much time for other things. Did you have to give up a lot?
Marco Friedl: “I felt that the most between around 15 and 17. Going out with friends, going away for a while, or staying up late wasn’t something I was able to do because I often had matches. And it wasn’t just local games in the town like the others, but in Munich. That took a lot of commitment and it got me down. I wanted to be with my friends and didn’t want to miss out, but when I woke up the next day I’d forget about that and was always happy that I had the opportunity to play for FC Bayern.”
WERDER.DE: That sounds like good discipline…
Marco Friedl: Marco Friedl: “Yeah. Also thanks to my parents who were always willing to pick me up from parties, for example. They also always helped me to become so responsible and to live for the sport. Of course, there was the odd argument when I wanted to stay half an hour longer! (laughs)"
WERDER.DE: What do FC Bayern do for young players, in football, and in life?
Marco Friedl: “For one, is that you should always maintain your passion for the game amongst all the pressure to perform. But also, a winning mentality. We would take part in youth tournaments and you always had the feeling that we should be winning every game and the whole tournament. It was always drilled into us that sport is about winning. And the longer you’re a part of the club, the stronger this mentality becomes.”
WERDER.DE: Were you ready for the fact that you are thrust into publicity when you become a professional?
Marco Friedl: “I felt that for the first time when I trained with the first team. But I had been friends with David Alaba for a long time and early on I learned through him the way everything was and how it is when you’re a professional. So I realised really quickly how strong your public image is when you’re a pro.”
In part two of the WERDER.DE interview, Marco Friedl speaks about his close friendship with fellow Austrian David Alaba, the difference between the current season and last season as well as his admiration for Sergio Ramos.

