Oliver BIERHOFF
At first sight people of Friuli look to be introvert and uncommunicative but if you find the key to reach their heart they will give it to you, with much, much more. Olivier Bierhoff succeded by bringing dreams and hopes to Udine and turning his job into a real moment of joy which lasts for 7 days every week. 'You can find this joy in people's eyes every time you meet them in the streets. They never put us under pressure, they always support us and we run towards unbelieveable goals. It is really a great atmosphere. We can train and play without any stress, just having fun'.In short a sort of fable. A fable that recalls another famous story. The story of an ugly duckling which turned into a beautiful swan. Bierhoff's story has something in common with this well-known Andersen's tale.
'Yes, especially if I recall all the problems I had during my first Italian seasons with Ascoli and then I move my memories to Udine, to the National team and to those 2 goals I scored in 1996 giving Germany the European Title. That really looks like a fable, because I started from the bench and because we were at Wembley that is a true football Temple. But it's not a fable, it's reality and it takes much more to make reality'.
Are you talking about work and commitment?
'Yes i do, but it takes also that good luck which I found in Udine. You must find yourself in the right place at right moment. Exactly the contrary of what I experienced in Ascoli, 2 relegations in 4 seasons. However, to be honest, also those years were important to mature and grow up. At the beginning I tried to work hard without thinking about goals I couldn't score, but later I started improving and I left Ascoli only after scoring 48 goals that I'm sure they won't forget'. Since then things went better and better and Olivier became an internationally acclaimed forward. A player with many qualities: patience, motivation, talent and more. Which one is more important for you?
'Discipline and commitment which pushed me so far and helped me during the hardest moments of my career. The worse was the result of the game the more I trained during the next week'.
And you didn't need that. I mean you come of a well-off family and many still claim that sport makes succesfull only those who really need to emerge.
'I don't agree. In the first place my father is not poor but he couldn't give me all the money I gain by playing football. In the second place we can't talk just in terms of money. You can accomplish something only if you have something of special inside yourself, if you can't help of pursuing high goals. It's a matter of motivation, of mental discipline'.
Did your family give you these qualities and attitude?
'Yes, my father Rolf and my mother Silvie gave me this kind of education, teaching me to be humble. Many times in my career I went through tough moments and I even thought to quit aiming at new objectives and projects, but they encouraged me to go on and to persevere. It was the best advice they could give me. Humility and commitment pay always back and even now that I'm finally successful I think that nobody could say that I got a swollen head'.
For sure nobody in Udine.
'Udine finally gave me the opportunity to emerge and I won't forget it. I'm proud to be part of this group that achieved results Udinese never achieved before'.
Actually you are not just part of this group, you are the leader.
'Who did say that?'.
Everybody...
'It is an exaggeration'.
..and the numbers. Since you arrived at Udine you missed 13 games (2 wins, 3 draws and as many as 8 defeats)..
'I don't like to be in the spotlight. It is true that I'm one of this team's pillars, but if you don't have a good structure around, pillars are useless. This team has many talents, a good structure and a great coach who built all of this. I gave Udinese my best but without Udinese I wouldn't be where I am now'.
What is the secret of Udinese's success?
'I told you. We are a united group which has fun, which works hard, which dreams but not too much. We like to make a step at time and sometimes this is enough to get far'.
So friendship is an important part of your success?
'We are professionals and we know that our ways could suddenly change their direction. In today's football you must always have your suitcase ready and you can happen to face for two weeks in a row the same player with two different teams. However some feelings still remain. We are a nice group and I'll keep my friendship with players like Calori and Helveg even if we won't be teammates forever. Alessandro is an authentic guy with genuine morals. He is just like me. He considers Udinese's jersey as his second skin because realizes how important is this team in his life. I like the positiveness he transmits'.
Udinese is also Alberto Zaccheroni.
'He built this team piece after piece, he wrote our history. Zaccheroni won my respect by his honesty and sincerity. When I arrived at Udine he admitted I wasn't his first choice, but we immediately started working hard together and he helped me to grow up. I think to be a won bet for him'.
Udine brought you back also to the National Team.
'Playing in Serie A was the only way to prove my talent and to be noticed by Vogts. Then those 2 goals at Wembley allowed me to win everybody's respect. Lately I have scored as many as 13 goals in 19 games, often without playing as a starter. In this case numbers talk'.
You scored 6 goals over the last 5 games leading Germany to qualify for the next World Cup. A very nice visiting card.
'I hope so. This would be my first World Cup and I really hope everything to go well until June'. How does your life is changed?
'Pretty much, I realize that because now everybody looks for me. I have interviews with journalists from all around the world. There's not even time enough for everybody. I start talking and I get lost in my thoughts, I would talk for hours but after 30 minutes we must move on'.
Do you still have time to study?
'Yes I still find time to study and this year I'll graduate in Economics. It has been tough especially because I couldn't attend the University very often and I had many private lessons. However the subject is fantastic, it's not dry at all and it's very useful in everyday life other than in buisness'.
A degree for your future. A future that looks without football then.
'I don't know. I haven't thought about that yet. However my football history coupled with a degree in Economics could hopefully give me the opportunity to stay inside this world after quitting as a player. The world of sport is changing at the threshold of the third millennium and many new options are emerging. I want to think about it, I'm just 30 and I still have much to give as a player'.
Your roots are in Germany but a piece of your heart is now here in Italy.
'I could stay in Italy after my career is over, I don't know, it depends on the offers I'll receive. I could even move to the United States for a couple of years to go ahead with my studies. However after 7 years in Italy this is kind of my second home. In addition my grandmother Wilma is of Friuli extraction and I still have wonderful memories about a vacation I spent in Sicily almost 20 years ago. Yes I love Italy and Italians. I like their cheerfulness and their ability to make every poblem less dramatic'.
It looks like a perfect world.
'I didn't say that. Sometimes cheerfulness overflows and becomes chaos and this is something you immediately feel if you come from the north of Europe. Then I don't like the way Italians deal with nature and wildlife. In Germany we have a more respectful culture and I think we all should recover the same attitude of the old Native Americans who, before manipulating the environment, carefully pondered the consequences for the next generations'.
Do you ever think about having children?
'Yes I do but I didn't make any plan yet. I love children and I would like to transmit them the same serenity and confidence that I received from my father'.
Bierhoff's family also means Klara, a model who, being a former athlete, can understand her man's sacrifices.
'She is a 27 years old talented basketball player who left Germany to stay with me even if that means that her basketball career is now in jeopardy'.
She made her choice, like you did when, still being 14, you quitted tennis to keep on pursuing a football career. That revealed itself to be a right choice since you wouldn't probably become another Becker.
'It was that age when a teen-ager plays many sports. I don't know how succesfull I would become by playing tennis. Maybe I would have more time to study and I would graduate earlier but I don't think I would become a champion. I think that now I would probably play just to keep in shape while as a football player I am a succesfull professional'.
And it's not over yet for this blond star who is liked by the fans and especially by the girls. Many would see him as a model, a role he experienced a few months ago just for fun.
'It was just for fun. I like to dress well. It's a matter of respect to myself. However I couldn' t turn a personal passion into a real job'.
Well it is exactly what you did with football.
'That's a different story. Then it's not over yet. I don't feel completely successful. I still have so much to accomplish. Moreover I know that bad moments will come too, and only then I will be able to figure out who is really a friend of mine. It's tough to get successful in football, but staying successful is even harder'.
Your experience with Udinese is said to be almost over. Juventus, Milan, Parma where are you moving to?
'It's too early to talk about it. Every year they say I'm leaving, but I'm still here dreaming with Udinese. Don't wake me up yet!'.
A great football team, this is the only thing your career still misses, but what if Udinese proves to be a great one itself?
'This is the main reason that kept me here last summer. We qualified for the UEFA Cup and I didn't want to miss such an opportunity, especially after working hard to achieve it'.
Who knows, it might happen again. After all we are talking about dreams and hopes. However one point is sure: Bierhoff is not ready to leave Italy yet.
'The Italian Championship is still the best one. England and Spain are growing well, but the charm and the hardness of this League are still unique'.
Olivier Bierhoff dips into his Udine, a coffee in downtown, a walk in Piazza San Giacomo, a chat with some people, those people who have always supported but not choked him. It will be hard for Olivier to pack everything and say goodbye without turning round.