Icon: enlarge
Marcel Heister (center) in a duel with Cristiano Ronaldo in the 1: 2 defeat in Turin
Photo: MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Heister, the eternal question: Messi or Ronaldo - who is better?
Marcel Heister: It's
hard to say, really.
There are different types of players that are difficult to compare.
If Ronaldo has an inch of space: goal.
Messi turns nothing into an opportunity.
If he doesn't see a passport, he dribbles and goes through four people.
SPIEGEL:
What did you think when your club Ferencváros Budapest was added to the Barca and Juve group?
Heister:
Of course, the two names pop into your head.
And then you think: Wow, now you have the chance to play not just against one, but against both.
SPIEGEL:
Two weeks ago you almost scored a point against Juventus, and Turin's winning goal came in stoppage time.
As a left-back, how do you prepare for Cristiano Ronaldo?
Heister:
You analyze every team, every player and see where there could be weak points.
But whether it's Ronaldo or Messi - you don't need to watch a lot of videos.
Everyone knows how difficult it is.
Then getting the goal in the 92nd minute felt like a ten-to-zero slap.
We were about to make history.
SPIEGEL:
How often did the MH26 duel against CR7 take place?
Heister:
He played more in the middle, but there have been a few duels.
Then you look at pictures and are happy that you were able to experience that.
My jersey is framed and there is a picture next to it.
Our photographer's storage disk is overflowing after such a game, everyone is hot for the pictures.
Everyone wants a photo with Ronaldo or Messi.
SPIEGEL:
You posted a photo on Instagram of the first leg against Juventus, showing you taking the ball from Ronaldo.
In contrast to the second leg, he didn't score in the first game.
Heister:
He was very, very pissed off after the game.
There you can see the character he has.
It's unbelievable, they win the game 4-1, but he really wants to score his goal and win the game even higher.
Not everybody does that.
It was amazing to see him perform live.
Icon: enlarge
Marcel Heister has been playing in Budapest for two years
Photo: Marco Alpozzi / LaPresse / imago images / LaPresse
SPIEGEL:
Already on the first day of the match, it was a 1: 5 slap against Messi's Barcelona.
What is it like to see the two best footballers in the world up close?
Heister:
You can just feel their presence.
You look at them and you know what they have achieved.
That every year they pick up where they left off last.
And then you play in the Champions League yourself and think: Now I'm next to Messi.
It was indescribable when I saw that he was still coming on in the first game.
Unfortunately, he didn't play in the second game, so of course I would have liked a picture of a duel.
SPIEGEL:
Budapest's last game against Kiev today is about third place and Europa League qualification. Both teams have one point and the Ukrainians have a better goal difference.
Are you happy with how the Champions League season went?
Heister:
With the group it was already clear to us that we would play for third place with Dynamo Kiev.
Now we are close to it and have a good chance.
We want to win the game, it's all about victory.
We're definitely not satisfied with playing in the Champions League once and that's it.
SPIEGEL:
You got into professional football via a detour.
As a 20-year-old, you moved from Hoffenheim's second team to the Croatian first division at NK Zadar.
How did that happen?
"I said to myself: I am young, I don't have to go the typical way."
Heister:
I wanted to leave Germany at the time because the coach didn't rely on me.
My father is originally from Croatia, I have family and friends there.
My uncle knew the club owner and called him.
I played in a friendly game in Zadar and scored a goal straight away - I signed the contract the next day.
I said to myself: I'm young, I don't have to go the typical path that everyone goes.
SPIEGEL:
In Croatia you also found your current position at the back left.
Heister:
I was a striker in Hoffenheim, and before that in Reutlingen.
I lived from scoring goals.
When the coach set me up as a left-back in Croatia, I just thought: Really?
I can't even come to the gate anymore.
Suddenly you have to cross and provide assists, it wasn't easy to get used to.
Now I can't think of any other position.
SPIEGEL:
After four years, I moved to Beitar Jerusalem.
Why did you move to the Israeli League?
Heister:
The board of directors called me into his office and said that there was a very lucrative offer for me - the offer from Beitar.
I had never thought about the Israeli League before.
The first time you hear Israel, a hundred things come to mind, just not football.
SPIEGEL:
How did you experience Jerusalem, the divided city?
Heister:
Sometimes you heard about the conflicts through the media, but I didn't experience or see anything.
I lived right in the center of the city and felt safe at all times, there was never a problem.
SPIEGEL:
Are professionals in Israel more concerned with politics?
Heister:
No, as a soccer player I only focus on sport.
These are things that are out of my power.
Icon: enlarge
Lionel Messi scored the Catalans' opening goal in their 5-1 loss to Barcelona
Photo: Alex Caparros / Getty Images
SPIEGEL:
After two years, you moved to Ferencváros Budapest in Hungary.
Your time in Jerusalem came to an inglorious end: you went on strike.
What happened?
Heister:
We didn't come to an agreement.
Everyone had their own interests: I as a player, the club owner who didn't want to let me go.
At that time I had a stubborn head and said: No matter whether I'm right or not - I just won't play anymore.
I really wanted to switch to Ferencváros.
Now I'm a bit older and think that this could have been arranged differently.
SPIEGEL:
Why did you really want to go to Budapest?
Heister:
Thomas Doll was trainer at Ferencváros at the time and called me.
It was a really cool conversation - as if we'd known each other ten years.
After ten minutes it was all about: When are you coming to sign your contract?
I was blown away back then, Doll just has a special way and is a buddy guy.
It was clear to me that I wanted to join the club and not anyone else.
I already knew the stadium and the city from a friendly match from the year before.
SPIEGEL:
Even after Doll was released, things went extremely well for you in Budapest.
You have won two Hungarian championships, are regular players and recently scored the winning goal in the derby.
Your contract will expire next year.
Do you want to get to know a new country?
Heister:
We'll sit down after the last games this year.
I am very satisfied and happy.
Let's see what the talks bring.
"As a child, you dream of the Champions League - I made this dream come true <<
SPIEGEL:
The Champions League was certainly a good stage.
Heister:
That's right, the Champions League sees you in a different light.
I've already been asked if I would mind that I'm so unknown in Germany.
The fact that almost nobody actually knows me, that I took an atypical path, doesn't bother me at all.
As a child, you dream of the Champions League - I've played there now and made that dream come true.
SPIEGEL:
Do you have the Bundesliga in mind?
Heister:
I would listen to any good offer.
But it's not as if I would switch immediately if I received an offer from the Bundesliga.
I am happy when interested parties come.
SPIEGEL:
Do you
ever
think of your colleague full-back Robin Gosens?
For him, the way abroad even led to the national team.
Heister:
I recently watched an interview with him, a television team visited him in Bergamo.
He also said that a few years ago he would never have believed he would play in the Champions League, that's a parallel.
SPIEGEL:
Finally, one more sensitive question: what about your hairstyle?
You bought a hair clipper during the pandemic so you didn't have to go to the hairdresser - and you didn't risk the duels with Ronaldo and Messi because of a corona infection.
Heister:
I am now a professional with short hair and have received inquiries from other players.
In the beginning it was critical, now it is no longer noticeable that I cut myself.
I bought a three-sided mirror where I can see all sides.
But one half of my light in the bathroom is not good, so I sometimes hit one side
(laughs)
.
Icon: The mirror