Interview
10.08.23
Heyer: “That’s what makes the cup so unique”
In an interview with the club, defensive all-rounder Moritz Heyer talks about his previous DFB-Pokal experiences, the upcoming first-round clash away at Rot-Weiss Essen and the atmosphere at the Stadion an der Hafenstraße.
Moritz Heyer has made 13 appearances in the DFB-Pokal, coming out victorious in nine of those games and needing penalties to reach the next round on four of those occasions. There’s no doubt that HSV’s defensive all-rounder has accumulated a lot of experience in this competition in the last few years and knows the often-quoted rules of the cup by heart. The 28-year-old has featured as both an underdog as well as a favourite in the competition: In the 2016/17 season he was part of the at the time third-division side Sportfreunde Lotte that shocked first- and second-division sides Werder Bremen (2-1), Bayer 04 Leverkusen (4-3 on penalties) and TSV 1860 München (2-0), before being defeated 3-0 by Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals. In the 2021/22 cup campaign, he reached the semi-finals with HSV as a second-division side (3-1 loss against SC Freiburg), eliminating lower-league sides such as Eintracht Braunschweig (2-1 in the first round), as well as more favoured teams such as 1. FC Köln (4-3 on penalties in the round of 16) along the way. On Sunday, another third-division side lies in wait for Heyer and Co. in the first round of the 2023/24 DFB-Pokal in the shape of Rot-Weiss Essen. HSV also faced third-division opposition last season in SpVgg Bayreuth, running out 3-1 winners after extra time. In this interview, Heyer speaks, amongst other things, about this clash and his previous DFB-Pokal experiences.
HSV.de: Mo, it’s time for the cup on Sunday. What comes to mind first when you think about the DFB-Pokal?
Moritz Heyer: The special charm of this competition. It’s incredibly fun to play in the cup. It makes a change from playing in the league as you get the chance to play against different teams and travel to different stadiums. Moreover, I grew up following the DFB-Pokal as a kid. I followed the final on the radio or on the TV and naturally also realised along the way that the underdog can cause the big teams problems. That’s what makes the cup so unique.
What comes to mind first when you think about the DFB-Pokal?
The most important thing is to take every game seriously. I have been part of an underdog side on a few occasions and have won relatively frequently. There is always pressure to win for the more established side. On the other hand, lower-league teams fight for every yard and put everything on the line. Therefore, it’s important to fight as hard as the opposition for every second ball.
You’re familiar with both the underdog as well the favourite tag in cup games. Is it actually any easier to play in one of those two situations?
As the underdog, there is no pressure on you and you have nothing to lose, and perhaps play with a bit more freedom. Nevertheless, I prefer the favourites tag. Due to the quality at our disposal, we have a team that should and must beat Essen in the first-round clash. As a footballer, it’s preferable for me to be playing for HSV in this game.
“The Pokal final is a childhood dream.”
You’ve been part of two cup runs that have gone deep into the competition. In 2017, you reached the quarter-finals with Lotte and even managed to go as far as the semi-finals in 2022 with HSV. How do you look back on these experiences?
In the 2016/17 season with Lotte, nobody predicted that we would ever be able to go as far. We caused a lot of big teams problems and knocked these sides out of the competition. Looking back, it’s hard to explain how that happened. We just lived in the moment and had total belief in ourselves. We knew that we were going to win these games and that’s exactly what happened. We also had the same mindset during the 2012/22 cup campaign with HSV, where we managed to battle through a lot of dramatic games to reach the semi-finals. It was great for a second-division side. Belief is extremely important in the cup. Both sides had that belief.
Did you spend more time reflecting on the cup exit with HSV in comparison with the end of the cup run with Lotte?
Yes. Knocking out Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals with Lotte would definitely have been a step too far. It was a different story with HSV in 2022: The Pokal final is a childhood dream that would’ve been something very, very special for every one of us. At the end of the day, we were only a game away from the final and the disappointment after the game was consequently enormous. Nevertheless, life goes on. We start afresh in the competition this weekend and perhaps this will be our year.
Rot-Weiss Essen await in the first round – a club full of tradition that will want to cause an upset. What will it come down to?
Playing in Essen is extremely unenjoyable. I know this from my past experience playing for Lotte in the Regionalliga. The conditions will obviously be slightly different, but I was able to get a good feel for the atmosphere of the stadium. We want to and need to produce our best performance in order to pass this test. Part of that is ensuring that we don’t let a fiery atmosphere develop. We can’t allow Essen to gain momentum, and need to implement our own game. Then their fans won’t have as good a time as they would like to.
The Stadion an der Hafenstraße is infamous. You are one of the few players in the squad who has already played at the new ground. Do you have any detailed memories of the atmosphere there on matchday?
The atmosphere was electric. You can feel what this club means to the fans and it can get very heated at times as a result. To be entirely honest, this makes it highly enjoyable and I am therefore really looking forward to the game on Sunday.
“We didn’t play at our best and know that we can do so much better. We will prove this to everyone in Essen.”
You started the season with a spectacular opening win against Schalke and most recently conceded a frustrating last-minute equaliser at KSC. How are you feeling as you head to Essen?
The game in Karlsruhe was extremely disappointing. When you concede a goal in the final minute of the game, you need a day or two to process it and discuss it intensively with the team. We didn’t play at our best, and know that we can do so much better. We will prove this to everyone in Essen and advance into the next round with a win under our belts.
Finally: You remain a versatile weapon within the defensive unit, playing the first two games as a left-back, despite the fact that you mainly played as a right-back over the last two seasons and are actually more of a natural centre-back or a defensive midfielder. How did this new position feel, and what are the biggest differences between them?
The biggest difference I find is when you are forced to use your left foot more with the ball, despite having the tendency to cut inside onto your right. Out of possession stays practically the same. I don’t dwell too much on the fact that I’m now playing on the other side of the pitch or believe that I have to do something massively different because of it. Our system of play is very flexible, meaning that we are constantly switching in and out of positions, which I love doing. I know the requirements of every position and try to follow the tactical requirements as best as possible. The coaching staff are always great at helping me to adjust to the new roles. It worked really well against Schalke, but wasn’t quite up to scratch against Karlsruhe. However, on the whole, I’m satisfied with how it’s gone so far.