Many of those, who until recently he had been sitting with at school and cramming for his Abitur, were up close last Friday as Nelson Weiper achieved something historic and “fulfilled a dream” as he scored to make it 4-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. While the 17-year-old still needs a bit of time for “it to sink in”, the majority of almost 33,000 fans in attendance at the MEWA ARENA, including his schoolmates, were up celebrating the first senior goal of his still young career.
Around 36 hours after the highlight of his career so far, Weiper was standing on the side of a snow-covered astroturf in South Munich, ready for his next appearance, keen to get on the scoresheet again. But this would not happen because the U19s, who are the leaders in the U19 Bundesliga South/South West, game fell victim to the weather at short notice.
Annoying, but bearable when you have all your friends around you for the long journey back. “There’s almost nothing better than seeing your closest mates every day, playing football with them and having fun,” emphasised the striker. And what’s special about this year group, filled with players he has known for many years? “We are a real team, everyone supports everyone. There are also brilliant individual players who can decide games by themselves. But the fact that we all work so hard for each other defines this team more than anything.” On Saturday lunchtime (12:30 CET), Benjamin Hoffmann’s team can secure the South/South West title against third-placed Karlsruher SC at the Bruchwegstadion, guaranteeing they progress to the play-offs to challenge for the U19 German title. Whether they will be without their top-goalscorer, Weiper has seven goals in eight games, remains to be seen. It is not out of the question that he will be in the first team squad as they take on TSG Hoffenheim on the same day at the MEWA ARENA (15:30 CET). It is a situation that the young striker recognises as he looks back at key years and months ahead of his 18th birthday.
The fact that we all work so hard for each other defines this team more than anything
Bundesliga goalscorer and school exams
The Germany U18 international joined the club in 2012, at which point André Schürrle had held the record as the Zerofivers’ youngest goal-scorer, which Weiper himself just claimed, for around three years. Weiper joined the club at seven years old and has been lacing up his boots for his hometown club ever since. In the back of his mind he has always held the same aim, to one day make it as a professional and run out alongside his idols. “I am now in my eleventh year here and have gone through all the age groups. I was born here, part of this club, the Zerofiver family. To be able to play here in our stadium and in front of our fans is very special,” said Weiper, who having completed his written Abitur exams at the beginning of the year is in the middle of preparations for the spoken assessments. Straining on many levels, but he has coped with it, even if he says it was “exhausting” at times. Overcoming these challenges has impressed management in both the academy and senior set-up and according to his estimation the exams went well. The results are still to come. “All in all, they went well,” he said modestly.
I was born here, part of this club, the Zerofiver family
At times, the attacker had to step on the brakes, and in close consulation with the club, he missed both the Zerofivers winter training camp as well as a DFB training camp. “It is important to the club, but also to me. There are moments in which school is more important than football. Jonas Schuster [Education director] and his role as a close contract for the whole academy and all the players is very important.” It is a sensible path that FSV have been following for years, as Weiper’s example shows.
With his upcoming graduation and first experience in the Bundesliga, Weiper has achieved his first personal milestones. That there will be further tests of his maturity is also known to Weiper, who is staying modest and wants to continue developing in the right direction: “I always want to better myself and obviously enjoy hearing praise. But, the only thing that really counts is to keep working hard and improving day by day –the rest then takes care of itself.”
Among those praising him on last Friday night was not least head coach Bo Svensson, who was one of the first to embrace the young talent after the full time whistle and congratulate him. “We believe in him, no one gets a free ticket here. Nelly has a long path ahead of him, but one that can go amazingly well if he keeps himself on track,” said the Dane after the game.
Strange, but cool
Weiper has already shown his goal-scoring instinct at the highest level, although he has no memory of the moments surrounding the goal, as he admits with a smile: “I don’t know what was going through my head after the goal. I remember that I had a good feeling when Aarón was about to cross, and then I just had to jump up and head the ball and I knew that it would go in. After that, it was just sheer joy and ecstasy, that’s all I remember,” said the home-grown player, who was able to think clearly again a few minutes later when the fans asked him to join in with the celebrations and create another special moment. “It was just so surreal, especially that the fans were shouting my name. At first, it was strange, but then it was very cool to be standing there.”
It was just such so surreal, especially that the fans were shouting my name
And he stood in the same place where, on his first visits to the MEWA ARENA as a fan, he had once enthusiastically followed strikers such as Shinji Okazaki or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting or many of his predecessors who had succeeded in making the step from the youth academy. This is an added incentive, according to Weiper, “Of course, you always looked at the boys who came from your own youth team and gradually became regular starters. You want to achieve that yourself and work hard towards your aim and moments like that.”
Celebrating in front of his classmates
It is work that pays off and for which Weiper gives up, among other things, spending time with his classmates at his school, IGS Bretzenheim. “Of course, I would love to be there, but I get to be here and play professional football. It doesn’t get any better than that.” This is especially true since many of his classmates were there in the stands last Friday and, along with his family, were among the first to congratulate him. “That was cool because they were all so happy for me.” They all also had the opportunity to see Nelson’s celebration skills for themselves. According to Weiper, these are “not really my thing”, but there was clearly an exception to this at the MEWA ARENA.
Annoying, but bearable when you have all your friends around you for the long journey back. “There’s almost nothing better than seeing your closest mates every day, playing football with them and having fun,” emphasised the striker. And what’s special about this year group, filled with players he has known for many years? “We are a real team, everyone supports everyone. There are also brilliant individual players who can decide games by themselves. But the fact that we all work so hard for each other defines this team more than anything.” On Saturday lunchtime (12:30 CET), Benjamin Hoffmann’s team can secure the South/South West title against third-placed Karlsruher SC at the Bruchwegstadion, guaranteeing they progress to the play-offs to challenge for the U19 German title. Whether they will be without their top-goalscorer, Weiper has seven goals in eight games, remains to be seen. It is not out of the question that he will be in the first team squad as they take on TSG Hoffenheim on the same day at the MEWA ARENA (15:30 CET). It is a situation that the young striker recognises as he looks back at key years and months ahead of his 18th birthday.
The fact that we all work so hard for each other defines this team more than anything
Bundesliga goalscorer and school exams
The Germany U18 international joined the club in 2012, at which point André Schürrle had held the record as the Zerofivers’ youngest goal-scorer, which Weiper himself just claimed, for around three years. Weiper joined the club at seven years old and has been lacing up his boots for his hometown club ever since. In the back of his mind he has always held the same aim, to one day make it as a professional and run out alongside his idols. “I am now in my eleventh year here and have gone through all the age groups. I was born here, part of this club, the Zerofiver family. To be able to play here in our stadium and in front of our fans is very special,” said Weiper, who having completed his written Abitur exams at the beginning of the year is in the middle of preparations for the spoken assessments. Straining on many levels, but he has coped with it, even if he says it was “exhausting” at times. Overcoming these challenges has impressed management in both the academy and senior set-up and according to his estimation the exams went well. The results are still to come. “All in all, they went well,” he said modestly.
I was born here, part of this club, the Zerofiver family
At times, the attacker had to step on the brakes, and in close consulation with the club, he missed both the Zerofivers winter training camp as well as a DFB training camp. “It is important to the club, but also to me. There are moments in which school is more important than football. Jonas Schuster [Education director] and his role as a close contract for the whole academy and all the players is very important.” It is a sensible path that FSV have been following for years, as Weiper’s example shows.
With his upcoming graduation and first experience in the Bundesliga, Weiper has achieved his first personal milestones. That there will be further tests of his maturity is also known to Weiper, who is staying modest and wants to continue developing in the right direction: “I always want to better myself and obviously enjoy hearing praise. But, the only thing that really counts is to keep working hard and improving day by day –the rest then takes care of itself.”
Among those praising him on last Friday night was not least head coach Bo Svensson, who was one of the first to embrace the young talent after the full time whistle and congratulate him. “We believe in him, no one gets a free ticket here. Nelly has a long path ahead of him, but one that can go amazingly well if he keeps himself on track,” said the Dane after the game.
Strange, but cool
Weiper has already shown his goal-scoring instinct at the highest level, although he has no memory of the moments surrounding the goal, as he admits with a smile: “I don’t know what was going through my head after the goal. I remember that I had a good feeling when Aarón was about to cross, and then I just had to jump up and head the ball and I knew that it would go in. After that, it was just sheer joy and ecstasy, that’s all I remember,” said the home-grown player, who was able to think clearly again a few minutes later when the fans asked him to join in with the celebrations and create another special moment. “It was just so surreal, especially that the fans were shouting my name. At first, it was strange, but then it was very cool to be standing there.”
It was just such so surreal, especially that the fans were shouting my name
And he stood in the same place where, on his first visits to the MEWA ARENA as a fan, he had once enthusiastically followed strikers such as Shinji Okazaki or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting or many of his predecessors who had succeeded in making the step from the youth academy. This is an added incentive, according to Weiper, “Of course, you always looked at the boys who came from your own youth team and gradually became regular starters. You want to achieve that yourself and work hard towards your aim and moments like that.”
Celebrating in front of his classmates
It is work that pays off and for which Weiper gives up, among other things, spending time with his classmates at his school, IGS Bretzenheim. “Of course, I would love to be there, but I get to be here and play professional football. It doesn’t get any better than that.” This is especially true since many of his classmates were there in the stands last Friday and, along with his family, were among the first to congratulate him. “That was cool because they were all so happy for me.” They all also had the opportunity to see Nelson’s celebration skills for themselves. According to Weiper, these are “not really my thing”, but there was clearly an exception to this at the MEWA ARENA.