“I’m proud to be a part of the history of this derby”
Derby fever is rife in Berlin this week ahead of the fixture between Hertha and 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday 20th November (18:30 CET). The teams won’t just be battling it out over three points but also over the capital-city bragging rights. One man who has scored in this fixture is Ronny: our former attacker played in three Berlin derbies during our time in Bundesliga 2 and provided many magical moments, such has his unforgettable free-kick in the 2012/13 campaign when he scored to win us a point at home, or his penalty which helped to an away derby win. The 35-year-old spoke to herthabsc.de about extraordinary memories, his blue-and-white heart and the upcoming crunch match.
herthabsc.com: Ronny, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. What are you up to at the moment?
Ronny: I’m currently at home in Fortaleza, where I’m involved in a project working with young, future footballers and I’m sharing my experiences with them.
herthabsc.com: You’re about 8,000 km away from the fifth Bundesliga derby between the Old Lady and 1. FC Union. Are you going to watch the game? And what are you expecting to see?
Ronny: I’ve been following Hertha’s developments very closely and of course I’ll be watching the game against Union. After an average start to the season, the team have caught up with where they need to be and have picked up some important victories – so I’m certain the lads will win on Saturday.
herthabsc.com: You played in this fixture three times in your career. Can you describe the feelings and emotions that go on in your mind during such a game? Do you notice a slightly different atmosphere in the city before the game and on the pitch during the game?
Ronny: I was able to play in several derbies in my career- the Lisbon derby with Sporting against Benfica: in Brazil I played for Corinthians against Sãu Paulo and for Fortaleza against Ceará, but the Berlin derby is something special: the fans waited for this game for so many years, so the anticipation and build-up to the game is always huge. I’m proud to be a part of the history of this derby.
herthabsc.com: How did the fans celebrate your free-kick goal in Berlin back in 2012/13?
Ronny: I was still buzzing off the goal the day after I scored it. You could see how much the fans enjoyed it – this was evident by the grand reception I received. It’s a wonderful memory of mine. Whenever the next derby is coming up, my memories of the fixture come flooding back. I put a photo of my free-kick against Union which was gifted to me by a Hertha fan up on my wall. I’m proud of the goal I scored, but winning the derby was more important, of course.
herthabsc.com: Your free-kicks are certainly your party trick. How did you work on and practice your technique and power?
Ronny: It’s a natural gift I’ve got. But I did devote a lot of time to developing this talent, because talent alone was not enough.
herthabsc.com: You mentioned your positive relationship with our club. How closely do you still follow the club today?
Ronny: I regularly keep up with what’s going on at Hertha and spend a lot of time catching up with the team. I’ve kept in good contact with Salomon Kalou as well as with Tom Herrich, one of the managing directors. I hope to return to Berlin as soon as possible and pay the team a visit. I send my best wishes to all of the Hertha family, and hope that they stay healthy and of course: Ha, Ho, He – Hertha BSC!
[>]I put a photo of my free-kick against Union which was gifted to me by a Hertha fan up on my wall.[<]