Baumann: ''I really struggled through''

Oliver, an unbelievably challenging season is now at an end. What emotions do you have looking back? 

''There are certainly mixed feelings. Although it may have been forgotten by now, we had an excellent Europa League group stage. That brought us so much joy, we played fantastically well and we would have absolutely loved to be able to experience it with the fans. In the DFB-Pokal and the Bundesliga we obviously felt the effects of our bad luck with injuries and Covid.''

This run of absences was somewhat concerning.

''The actual illness with the virus was just one part of the Covid problem. We also had the resultant injuries to deal with. In some instances after the quarantine period we may have rushed back into action too quickly, the muscles weren't ready. In any case, we suffered massively this season through not being able to field our best possible line-up very often. It was a real rollercoaster this year. We had some great games in the Bundesliga, but we also went through a few notable low points.''

There were a lot of ups and downs.

"On balance, I think you still have to say: hats off to us for the way we handled this complicated situation. We were definitely switched on in the difficult moments. We didn't get nervous, we always tried to readjust things internally.''

''It was really hard mentally''

Did you have to take on a prominent role as one of the team captains?

''Of course there is a lot expected of me. We spent a lot of time talking, I put a lot of effort into communication - with the coach, with the sporting director, with my teammates. It was all about giving the lads a push, lifting their spirits, driving them forward in a positive way.  It was extreme to do my goalkeeping work on the side, so to speak. For the last two months, I trained in pain and put myself at the service of the club and the team. That was really tough mentally, too. I'll be honest: It wasn't fun at all in these times, I really struggled through it.''

It paid off in the end - you managed to put together a good run of form to close out the season. 

''We managed to get back on an upward trajectory, picking up more points and playing better football. We cut it a bit fine at points, but we were never truly caught in a relegation battle. I think that was partly down to the fact that we spoke a lot, stayed calm and didn't panic. Elsewhere, there can be a tendency to make rushed, panicky decisions - which of course has a negative effect. I think our club did really well in dealing with this difficult situation.''

Do you think the coach also changed during this phase? 

''I think he also became more emotional. For example, if Sebastian Hoeness noticed we were lacking fire in training, he would make sure to bring in more intensity. We are a fairly quiet team, especially without characters like Hübi (Benjamin Hübner, editor's note) and Ermin on the pitch and in the dressing room. This means things only work out for us because there is great character throughout the team.''

Do you have a sense of what might be possible for this squad next season?

''When I look at the team, I realistically expect and am aiming for a better season than this past one. We only have the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal to contend with next season, so I definitely think it's possible to achieve better results provided we have a good pre-season. I don't want to start talking about qualifying for Europe again, because I think a bit of humbleness would do us good at the moment. But I'll nonetheless say this: with the quality of the club and the squad we have here, we should be trying to play in the Europa League every year. Obviously a lot of things have to come together, we can't afford to suffer as many injuries. But it's definitely possible, and will always be my personal goal.''

''I want to get even closer''

You received your first call-up to the national team, but the injury left you with no chance of participating in the EURO. Do you still dream of being capped for Germany one day? 

''Of course it was painful to not be able to fight for a place in the EURO squad due to injury. But what's important now is avoiding any strain. I'm part of the wider circle and I now want to get even closer. I have a good relationship with the goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke and I know that I'm on the radar for Germany. I would of course love to play in an international game one day and I believe I can achieve this. I don't think I'm any worse than the other players in contention. Maybe not all of them, but a few of them anyway. At 31, I'm in my peak years as a goalkeeper and over the past season I've shown that I belong. During the injury period, I noticed how immensely important increased experience is. Without it, I would never have been able to play so well and feel so secure with limited training. Experience makes a massive difference.''

Another undoubted challenge of the season has been the restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid pandemic. To what extent has playing in front of empty stands become normal for you?

''On the whole it has been something we've just got used to - you just function on a purely professional level. Nonetheless, you still think to yourself during every game that this can't be normal, that this isn't the normal Bundesliga. It's not what you've always dreamt of and always worked towards. You really miss the interaction with the fans, all the connected emotions, regardless of whether or not they want you to win or lose. You miss it so much, everyone feels its absence. I don't think football is really the same. You go into challenges differently in front of fans, you play the game differently. For example, you wouldn't defend a 1-0 lead in front of a packed yellow wall in Dortmund in the same way you would in an empty stadium. There are certain players who perform better in a heated atmosphere, there are others who get more nervous - either way, the emotions change the game.''

''Games without fans feel like an empty air balloon''

Does it also change how you play as a goalkeeper?

"Definitely. At least I've heard opposing players say to my team-mates: 'Baumann, he's just shouting' (laughs). With fans there, they wouldn't even notice. I'm happy when my centre-backs can hear me and I can boss them around. I don't need to give them a push, the fans do that by themselves. Now you have to create such emotions in a slightly artificial way.''

But the realisation remains: football without fans does not have an unlimited shelf life

"Everyone who has ever been in a packed football stadium knows and feels that. The atmosphere, the energy - there's something magical about it. Games without fans feel like an empty air balloon compared to that. It's just not the same. If a child now sees a football match on TV for the first time, what will they wish for? Will it be your dream to stand there one day as a professional player? Of course the kids are watching very high quality professional football. But the truth is that isn't what an eight-year-old child is primarily interested in; they want to dream of the big stage, of glory, of the big cinematic moments. When you dream of football as a child, the fans are always there.''