Ian Wright: That’s a good question. It probably comes back down to being with your teammates. That’s what you miss most when you stop playing: the camaraderie, the togetherness. In the moments when you win, but especially when you loose. Sometimes people think that football players don’t have normal lives. That they don’t have sorrows or problems like anybody else. But of course that’s not true. The only difference is that you always have people around you to share them with. 

Yes! The connection you build up while going through so many ups and downs, lasts for a lifetime. With some players I’ve been together every day over seven or eight years. It’s difficult when you stop being an active player and have to spend your days on your own again. Quite a challenge!

When I was younger, I was a terrible loser. I would cry on the football field and I wouldn’t speak to anybody for days. But luckily I got a coach who teached me that losing is just part of the game. When you are asked about football, you wouldn’t tell at first: „Oh, I remember when I lost the Final. Oh, I remember I didn’t score a goal!“. Instead, you think of the great things you did. But what gives you joy with the great things is what you learn from losing. 

You lose way more often than you win. Not many people can win the World Cup, The Premier League, The Champions League. It’s only gonna be one team that can do it. And the other teams have to loose. The earlier you can accept that as a player, the happier you will be. 

Absolutely! What I often explain to young people, is that you have to embrace losing. Ask yourself: „What could I have done more, so that I don’t have to have this feeling again?“. This is not only about football. It is also about playing the big game – life. Learn from every defeat! You must not simply be angry, then nothing will change.

Football is a gift and it’s for everybody. I’m in a position now where I’m able to advocate for it. This is now my passion. I want to speak up about things that are not yet working well and I want to improve them. It’s also important to me because my granddaughter plays football and wants to become a professional.

I wish for her to stay free from injuries. She shows great potential, and I hope she can make the most of it. When she was a little child, she used to sleep with the ball in her hands. Now she’s 10 and when you start playing so young, many things can happen on the way to becoming a professional footballer, whether you are a boy or a girl. So all I want for her is to be able to continue to enjoy playing without injuries. 

Football brings people together. It is about the unity, the togetherness. When you walk around Berlin right now, you can see all nations – Scottish fans, Hungarian fans, Albanian fans and so many more. And look at this place, the Home of adidas Football – what a brilliant idea to make it accessible for everyone. To provide a space to people to celebrate for free. 

The fans are so important, they are the only thing pure that’s left in a game that is so much about money. More money for the payers, more money for coaches, more money for everyone. But when it comes to the fans, it’s often about „take, take, take“. Give them something back! Without them, it is not the same. Look at the atmosphere here at the stadium. Look at the Dutch fans dancing in the streets – that’s what it is about.

It’s been amazing so far! If the teams were able to play to the level of what the fans give, this would be even better. Because the fans are fantastic!