Gittens: "Klassiker not a normal game"

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bundesliga.com: Is Der Klassiker a special game or business as usual?

Jamie Gittens: "No, of course. Bayern Munich - obviously a massive opponent. The rivalry that we have had - Dortmund and Bayern over the past years has been really intense so it is not a normal game. I cannot say it is a normal game because it is not, but in Dortmund, we know that we have to win this game for people to feel good about themselves and winning this game would be such a big relief to everyone."

bundesliga.com: Do you remember your first game against Bayern?

Gittens: "That was 2022. I feel old. That was my first game off the bench. Minute 60 I came on. I came in the game and was nervous to see all the big names. Playing with the big names also. [Erling] Haaland and Marco [Reus]. Playing against [Robert] Lewandowski and Jamal [Musiala], these players. It was a good day. We lost the game, but I had a good feeling in myself that I was getting to that step."

Watch: Ten years of Klassiker goals

bundesliga.com: What makes Bayern so good?

Gittens: "Bayern - they are a very aggressive team on the front foot. On the ball, they are creative. Many tricky players, like [Michael] Olise. He was in my team at Reading. I met him when I was 14 so playing against him will be nice. I know him a little bit. Then the other quality they have in Jamal [Musiala], [Leroy] Sané, [Kingsley] Coman - they are really dangerous so we have to be careful and we have to put in a good game against Bayern."

bundesliga.com: What are your thoughts on Harry Kane?

Gittens: "He is probably one of the best strikers in the world. I haven’t really talked to him. He is a great striker. He did it in the Premier League at Tottenham [Hotspur] for years. Doing it at Bayern now, he is a top player. We have to be careful with him in this game. He is a danger to our team."

bundesliga.com: Olise has made a great start to the season...

Gittens: "He has been in my team since I was 13 at Reading. He was there for two years when I was there. We were on the same team. I knew his quality from years ago."

bundesliga.com: Are you in touch?

Gittens: "We talk here and there. I ask him for advice sometimes and he gives it to me about certain things. He is a good guy."

bundesliga.com: How do you think you compare to the top guys like Olise, Musiala and Florian Wirtz?

Gittens: "In terms of stats, I am not there yet but I want to be at that level one day, which I will be if I continue working hard. These guys, their level is crazy, so I really have to push myself to get to these levels."

bundesliga.com: Dortmund are 10 points behind leaders Bayern. How's the season been so far?

Gittens: "It has been eventful for sure. Up and downs. The unexpected has happened a lot but in the future, I hope it just becomes more consistent when we start winning more games away also. It is important and yes, just to keep going no matter what happens, just to keep going, keep fighting for Dortmund."

bundesliga.com: And for you personally?

Gittens: "Yes, it has been an okay start. I think I’ve been playing okay. Not the best at times but I’m not starting so many games back-to-back like this so for me, it is an experience also to play every game from the start. I’ve been enjoying it, you know, the journey. Its definitely not easy to do this every week, every three days but I am getting used to it now, so I just need to keep performing."

Watch: Gittens cutting onto his right foot and scoring

bundesliga.com: How do you deal with the winless run away from home? 

Gittens: "I think the team is becoming much, much stronger where we’re losing games and everyone is sticking together. So, we’re building more of a team chemistry in these tough times and I think one day, it’ll just click. I feel like it could be soon, could be this weekend or whenever, but I think it will start to click soon."

bundesliga.com: Is this something Nuri Şahin is working on?

Gittens: "Yes. Team bonding. Doing team events. Team games. I can train in games or in the gym, games to keep our morale high as a team so what he does is really good. If we do not do this, then we will not become a team and everyone will be complaining and being down but there are so many good guys in our team so with good guys, we can achieve a lot of things. Our team has so many good guys. Top guys, funny guys. So everyone is together. He has a team and we are all strung together. I like it."

bundesliga.com: Who are the funny guys in the camp?

Gittens: "There are a lot of funny guys. For me, Felix Nmecha. Ramy Bensebaini - also funny. [Serhou] Guirassy, really funny. Dony Malen. There are so many funny guys, you know? Even [Nico] Schlotterbeck at times, making jokes in German."

bundesliga.com: Are you loud?

Gittens: "I am not a loud speaker, but I think around my close friends in the team, I can be a bit loud. So, if you ask Felix [Nmecha] he would say that I am loud but I think I am normal." 

bundesliga.com: What are the differences in Germany compared to back home in England?

Gittens: "I think I am much more mature on and off the pitch, more strict about certain things, more game understanding of knowing what to do off the ball as well, defensively and through bad times. I'm not so down because back then I'll go on my phone after a bad game and see people saying things about me, talking bad about me but now, I never look at it. So the small things I’m getting used to and I’m becoming more of a man in this way."

bundesliga.com: What was it like having to leave your family behind at such a young age?

Gittens: "It definitely wasn’t easy. Sometimes, I sit down at my house and think it could have been different. I am thankful that I am here right now to play football and do what I love and to do it for Borussia Dortmund is even better."

bundesliga.com: Do you see your family much?

Gittens: "Not a lot. They will come over to Germany sometimes to watch some games, but I am not in London a lot because the schedule is busy – the game schedule but they come down here and there to see some games of mine which is nice."