Kramer: “I’m proud to reach this milestone”

Christoph Kramer made his 250th Bundesliga appearance on Saturday afternoon. In an interview, the midfielder spoke about his achievement, the goalless draw against SC Freiburg, and Alassane Plea’s goal-line clearance.

Chris, what do you think of the 0-0 draw now you can look back on it?

Kramer: It was a good performance from us, but that also means that even the next day, it feels like we lost two points. Almost all the stats were in our favour, and we simply had the better chances. Alassane Plea in particular doesn’t let those chances go begging, but sometimes there are days where you don’t have that bit of luck on your side in terms of finishing.

From the outside, it looks as though both teams had a lot of respect for each other. Did it feel like that was the case from your perspective on the pitch?

Kramer: It was definitely a game dominated by tactics, in which a goal wouldn’t have gone amiss. Both teams sat very deep and gave their opponent a lot of respect on the ball. I think we did very well defensively and were able to counter quickly time and again. In contrast to the last few games, we also created a few good goalscoring opportunities, but unfortunately didn’t take any of them. As a result, we have to make do with a point at the end of the day.

Just before the end, the draw looked to be slipping out of our grasp, but Alassane Plea cleared the ball brilliantly. How did you see that play?

Kramer: In my eyes it was a world class recovery, which was unbelievably important, because it would’ve been a certain goal for Freiburg otherwise. It’s incredibly difficult to put the ball to the right of the goal rather than putting it into your own net in that situation. Lots of other players would definitely have scored an own goal there, but Lasso showed his fine footwork.

You made your 250th Bundesliga appearance yesterday. Have you set a goal for yourself about how many more might come in the future?

Kramer: When I was young and at the start of my career, I dreamed of making 300 appearances. But I have to say, 250 is a milestone that I’m incredibly proud of. I would never have thought that I could some day reach this number. Nevertheless, I’m of course hoping that a bit more might come my way.

What was your most interesting moment from those 250 Bundesliga appearances?

Kramer: There are definitely a few, bit I probably have to say my own goal from about 50 yards away to Dortmund. I found it anything but funny in the weeks afterwards, but now I’ve learned to own the mistake and I can look back and laugh. As well as that, there have been so many beautiful and emotional moments, which I will never forget.

Appearance number 251 looks set to come next weekend away to RB Leipzig. What are you expecting there?

Kramer: I saw Leipzig’s game away at Dortmund on Friday night and despite the loss, they played some really good football. They’re especially strong at home, so it will be a real challenge. Statistically we do better against the higher-placed teams, so despite the test, there is always something for us there.