It was early August last year when BVB had to react and get a replacement for Sebastien Haller, who was seriously ill at the time. The striker had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. For him, who had just moved to Dortmund, Borussia signed Anthony Modeste from 1. FC Köln.
Now that almost a year has passed, Haller is healthy again. Especially in the second half of the season he played strongly. Modeste, on the other hand, experienced a mixed season and could hardly live up to expectations. The 35-year-old is currently without a club.
Ask: Mr. Modeste, your BVB contract has expired. How are things going with you?
Anthony Modeste: At the moment I don’t know how to proceed. But I can say that I’m still very motivated and focused and my goal is to keep playing football. I am disciplined and my healthy lifestyle allows my body to keep playing. I will start at a new club with heart and soul and highly motivated.
Ask: You are now 35 years old: How long do you want to continue playing professional football?
Modest: I will be able to play at this level for another two to three years. I have had no serious injuries or physical trauma in my 16 years of service.
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Ask: Do you also go to the desert to a Saudi club like Benzema and Ronaldo?
Modest: I will not receive offers in this category. But these are offers that 99 percent of players would accept.
Ask: Would you continue to play in the Bundesliga?
Modest: Yes, of course. I discovered the Bundesliga for myself ten years ago, learned to love it and really liked it. So I’m still very open to it. I like the Bundesliga – it suits my style of play, it’s intense and stands for beautiful football. For me it was always pure pleasure.
Ask: Nevertheless: was the Dortmund change a sporting mistake? You have scored two goals in 19 games and ended up mostly as a substitute. Before that you had scored 20 goals in Cologne.
Modest: Are you assuming that the fact that I scored fewer goals in Dortmund than in Cologne was a sporting error?
Ask: No, that was a question. But the facts speak for themselves.
Modest: I respect that. But the move wasn’t a mistake for me. If you compare the number of goals, the ratio was obviously higher in Cologne. But these are two different teams, two different styles of play and different rosters. I learned a lot in the last season.
Ask: What exactly?
Modest: I worked and learned more about football, teamwork and myself. I played on an elite team. Of course, I don’t like a bank place – and you can often tell that. But I respect coaching decisions. I have always been professional and dedicated. You can ask the club, even as a substitute I was involved in everything. I spoke up in front of the players in the dressing room, supported the lads and helped to balance the group.
Ask: Didn’t you really express frustration?
Modest: No. I trained like a starting XI player and never gave up. I’m glad I got to know the Champions League. I spoke a lot about this with my late father, and I’m sure he was happy in heaven for me. I always try to get the maximum out of myself.
Ask: Why did you play so little in Dortmund?
Modest: I knew that I would only play temporarily. Until Sebastien Haller had recovered. BVB has a large squad. I was used to a different playstyle and had to adapt. This season I played 1175 minutes and one final for the title. We were a great group with a very good mix of youth, experience and competition.
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Ask: What do you want your life after football to be like? Are you staying in Cologne?
Modest: I don’t know what will happen after my career. Planning for the future is very difficult for us. My kids grew up in Germany and they love being here so we’ll see where life takes us.
Ask: Her son Brooklyn plays at FC when he was young.
Modest: Brooklyn grew up in Cologne. Like every kid in town, FC occupies an important place in his life. He passed the entrance exams, he’s been there for two years now. The Geißbockheim is now his playground and no longer mine. My wife organizes soccer for Brooklyn. There’s no pressure from me. I give him his space for his personal development, I don’t train him. But if he has any questions, I’ll answer them. It is important for me to state that Brooklyn is not the son of, but does this himself, is supervised by his coaches and that his mother takes care of the training and everything around it.
Ask: Is the FC chapter finally over for you?
Modest: FC and I have not been in contact to discuss the possibility of a return.
Steffen Baumgart (left) and Anthony Modeste had a good relationship: Here the attacker stole the coach’s famous flat cap
Source: pa/U. Hufnagel/Ulrich Hufnagel
Ask: Is your follow-up contract as a striker coach in Cologne still valid?
Modest: The contract ended when I left.
Ask: You were always very closely linked to Steffen Baumgart during your time at FC. How is your relationship with him now?
Modest: We get along well, we’ve never had a bad relationship. He is a person with whom one has an honest and respectful exchange. We talked, we saw each other, but we didn’t call each other after the final for the title. What was he supposed to say? That evening was a real trauma.
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The item was written for the sports competence center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in BILD.
