Marc Janko wants political footballers and is unsure whether his buddy will stay in Munich.
- There were once rumors about Marc Janko that he was changing FC Bayern Munich.
- The football professional knows his compatriot David Alaba well.
- In the interview, he talks about politics, Instagram - and comments on Alabas.
Berlin - Marc Janko (36) sits in a rooftop bar above the rooftops of Berlin and is a guest at the Laureus Awards a day later. And yet the Austrian scorer (including RB Salzburg, FC Basel) is anything but the typical football star. In the tz interview, Janko talks about political statements, the fake Instagram world and compatriot David Alaba .
Mr. Janko, you ended your career last summer. How are you doing
Janko : I'm very well. After the end of my career, I had to start making calendar entries so that I had an overview of all the appointments. It is an orientation phase, if you will: from external determination to self-determination.
Are you glad that the external determination has ceased?
Janko : I still feel incredibly privileged for the life I have been allowed to live so far. But a big obstacle at that time was that I could never plan anything two weeks in advance. The plan has changed constantly. I enjoy that I can now easily say where I will be on a Sunday morning in four months.
You have also been less in public since the end of your career.
Janko : For me, it hadn't taken on dimensions like international stars. Compared to Hugh Grant, I'm not even a small fish, I'm almost plankton. But I now enjoy that I don't have to justify myself anymore when I drink a beer.
They are very critical of social media. Why?
Janko : Man is knitted so that he subconsciously compares himself to others. I was particularly annoyed at Instagram that I get perfection smeared on bread - food, travel or six-packs. As a father, I am concerned about the world my children were born in.
They like to make clear announcements, including political ones. Many soccer players do without it?
Janko : I can imagine that there is uncertainty or ignorance in political matters. The players are afraid to say something wrong or to position themselves incorrectly. When I express myself politically, it is never party-political aspects, but non-partisan. A lot more people who have a platform should do that. Even if you only change something on a small scale: you have to start somewhere.
Let's look at your career: In 2008 there were rumors of a move to Bayern.
Janko : At the time, I thought that I only found out about inquiries when it became really concrete. My manager never contacted me about FC Bayern.
You would have met fellow countryman David Alaba (27).
Janko : David is a great football player! He has shown that he is in good hands in central defense. It is enormously valuable for teams with strong playing skills because the central defenders are the hidden playmakers in possession teams.
What characterizes Alaba?
Janko : He joined the national team at the age of 17, and it was impressive to me what character he already had then. He was eager to learn, willing to learn. He was always listening, was nice and polite. It was a pleasure to see him grow into a man. He is a driving force for the Austrian football world. A nice story!
His contract expires in 2021.
Janko : I can imagine him somewhere else than in Munich, but he has to decide for himself whether he wants to see something else again. He has become a family man and it is difficult to say whether he is tempted to tear out all his roots. On the other hand, it is a great life experience when you get to know something else and get a different impulse.
Interview: Jonas Austermann