Schlager on life at Wolfsburg, idolising Henry and more

bundesliga.com sits down with Schlager to discuss life in Wolfsburg, why he enjoys playing under Oliver Glasner and the players he grew up idolising alongside Arsenal legend Thierry Henry...

bundesliga.com: How much are you looking forward to the three remaining games and the dream Wolfsburg could realise?

Xaver Schlager: "I'm looking forward to the three games. It's the decisive period where we can show how good we are. I think we're in a good position, that speaks in our favour and we'll do everything possible to get the most of them. It will be difficult but we'll do our best to get the wins and take it game by game, trying to perform well and pick up the three points."

bundesliga.com: Three recent defeats from four matches, against genuinely top teams. How do you rate Wolfsburg's situation at the moment?

Schlager: "It was nothing special. The three games we lost were annoying, we only have ourselves to blame as it wasn't a case of being dominated and not standing a chance, rather we made mistakes and our opponents were ice-cold in punishing us. If we were a bit more precise and held our ground, things might have turned around quickly because I think our effort and playing philosophy was very good. We've dealt with the other big problems and now need to keep working hard. These games were decided on marginal things and these three times it wasn't on our side but maybe the next games will be."

bundesliga.com: In Wolfsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund, we have three teams fighting for two UEFA Champions League places. What speaks in your favour?

Schlager: "I'm not sure how the media is interpreting it but we've never felt like we were safe, we knew we had difficult games ahead of us, if we lost a direct duel it was like a six-point game, things can change quickly. I don't understand it because we always knew those games would be crucial. Okay, we lost the games but we can be satisfied with our effort. The opponents didn't win the games, we lost them with our mistakes, not because they played brilliantly. At the end of the day, it's in our hands and if we play to our potential, it looks like we could be playing in the Champions League next season and it's good to know that. I'd rather not rely on other people or teams and we can go into the final three matches with self-confidence."

bundesliga.com: What would Champions League qualification mean to you personally? How keen are you to play against Europe's top clubs?

Schlager: "Honestly, I haven't thought about it that much. Of course, you want to play in the Champions League at some point but it's not the biggest dream I have. I'd like to play in it but I'm not putting us under any unnecessary pressure. We've been playing a brilliant season and we need to have an attitude to achieve the best we can, which is the Champions League. It's not as if I'll say I've done all I can and retire if we achieve it, rather it's a nice achievement and another milestone we would pass but it wouldn't be considered a miracle, we've played well all season and put ourselves in this position through our points, effort and mentality and deservedly so."

bundesliga.com: How happy are you, personally, with your performances this season?

Schlager: "I'm not going to review myself at this stage, I'll save that for after the end of the season. I just think it's important that we function as a team and to be a part of that. Personally, I think that's gone well, I've played plenty of matches, developed a lot, which is important to me, that I improved in different areas. I see there is room for improvement, which I'm working towards, to get better year after year and become a more complete player."

bundesliga.com: For fans who do not know you too well, how would you describe your playing style and strengths?

Schlager: "I'm a player who stands for passion, emotion, work and mentality, who tries to be terrible for opposition, doesn't give the ball away but tries to find the balance between being composed on the ball and stretching the play and then quickly changing things up and bringing players into the game. The difficult thing for me is finding that right balance between aggressiveness and calm, that's my greatest challenge as a midfielder but I think I'm not the most comfortable opponent for opposition players."

bundesliga.com: You moved from Salzburg to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2019, what were the factors in deciding for the Wolves?

Schlager: "Simply the perspectives, the opportunities for playing time, the club as a whole with their attitude towards giving young players a chance and knowing that we have to work harder if we want to achieve something, training and fighting hard every day, and having a well-functioning team to have success. The training conditions here are exceptional, the entire surroundings, and I think that's very important for a young player to further develop in peace and get good game time because it's only through playing and training that you'll get better and that is a given here, which was very important to me."

Watch: Tactical Analysis: Wolfsburg Wing-play

bundesliga.com: Among other things, the calm surroundings were a reason for your move here, has that been proven and paid off, in hindsight?

Schlager. "Absolutely. Calm surroundings - sometimes too calm - but with Corona, it's probably good because if you're in a cool city and not allowed to do anything, it would be even more annoying. But it's no problem, I've been able to develop in peace, I've learned a lot from teammates, opposition and coaches. I find it very important to be able to work like this without distractions, everyone has to find their own way but this suits me very well."

bundesliga.com: Was head coach Oliver Glasner, who had you on his wishlist, a factor as well?

Schlager: "Of course, we spoke before the move about what the plan was, the playing philosophy and it was very similar to Salzburg. I thought because he has history with Red Bull, so I knew what to expect and I love this kind of play, this dominant, aggressive pressing, always putting the opposition under pressure. That suits my style of play and it was good step for me. Nobody could have known it would be so good for me but you hope it would be, so I think it was simply important and good for me. As I said, with playing time, you learn a lot and quickly."

bundesliga.com: How much is Wolfsburg's success this season down to Oliver Glasner?

Schlager: "He's certainly a very important cornerstone in our success. He has brought a clear playing philosophy, given us a tactical framework in which we are flexible, everyone knows their job and we can switch it up relatively quickly. It's important to feel comfortable in the system you play, knowing your moves, and he has done that very well. You can see how well we're set up tactically and the way we approach the game thanks to him."

bundesliga.com: You're both Austrians, do you think it's important and necessary, both for coaches and players, to make the move to the Bundesliga from there?

Schlager: "When you play in Salzburg, you're practically at a Bundesliga level because of the team, the setup, playing Europa League or Champions League, so the level is high and then the step up isn't that high. But, of course, for other clubs which don't play in Europe every season, for them it's a bit different. You have to adapt a bit, it's all quicker, more physical and tactical. While in Austria you might need two touches, in Germany it's just one. It's bigger here, the attention from the media. They're small things like maybe the pitch is better and you can play faster, which might not be something we're used to in Austria. But the most important thing is wanting it, that you believe in yourself, even if things aren't going well that you don't give up, keep trying and keep believing that you can make it. Those who have that can make this step easily. There have been lots of Austrians who have come to Germany and the German clubs see the value in us with the language, similar cultures, which is important to a club and why us Austrians feel comfortable in Germany."

bundesliga.com: You've often said that you feel very closely connected to home. Do you feel settled in after two years here and what do you still miss about home in Austria?

Schlager: "I've settled in brilliantly, I have a great environment here. Great friends, with whom I was able to do things with during Corona and it works well. I don't miss too much but maybe the good weather and a bit less wind would be nice but they're small things. I enjoy going back to Austria, of course, because it's like a holiday, seeing my friends and family, to relax and recharge the batteries. It's tough now with Corona but it will make it all the sweeter when I can go again and I'm looking forward to it."

bundesliga.com: How much do you miss your friends at home? I've read of exciting card games and a stammtisch, can you tell the fans more?

Schlager: "Yeah, In Austria, I think it's traditional to have a regular table in the villages, everyone has theirs, my father has a 'stammtisch’' my cousins have a 'stammtisch', I have one. It's a group of friends who meet at a certain time and place. At the moment, we have the 'stammtisch' online with zoom, we talk, my friends drink a beer, talking about what has happened, what they're doing for the weekend, so you can stay up to date in the village. You could have special excursions, it's very traditional, fun and important to stay connected to home and never forget where you come from, which is why friends and family are very important."

bundesliga.com: You grew up as a footballer with Red Bull Salzburg, going through all of the youth teams to the pros, who in your 10 years there had the biggest influence on you?

Schlager: "That's difficult. Probably what influenced me the most is the way of living there. To be away from home, living with teammates and you have to take care of yourself. There isn't always someone running around behind you, saying where you have to be and what you have to do, you have to take care of that yourself, organising your day with school and training and knowing how to get from A to B, what to eat and how to get it. You have to organise a lot of things you generally need to do a bit later in life. It's improved a bit in the meantime because they have their own boarding school, which wasn't the case for me. It was a bit more difficult for me but it had a big impact on me and I'm very thankful for it because it helped me through the tough times and it was an incredible time. You always had fun there, you never felt alone because you had seven teammates in the other rooms, you'd pass the time with video games or watching the Champions League together, those were great evenings in the living room, it was a really cool time and I think it had the biggest influence on me."

bundesliga.com: Many current Bundesliga players have passed through the youth academy at Red Bull Salzburg. What makes the academy and the education at the club so special?

Schlager: "I think the most important thing was the consistent philosophy, from the young kids to the pros. The path is much easier when you, for example, play with the second team and train with the pros. You know what the tactics are, know what the coach requires, so the step up is much easier. You don't learn a completely new system, rather you know what you should do from what you hear every day and that is much easier. At the same time, it's very difficult at Salzburg, they bring in Austria's best players plus some from abroad and you cannot forget that there are many who don't make it. But if you make it through, the chances are that you'll make it at this level, which is very high. For some, it's an advantage, for others a disadvantage. It's a battle for survival and the quality in each team improves, so you have to improve with it; but I believe that we as footballers love the competition, so it's no problem. I'm one of the lucky ones, who made it through but I have many former teammates and friends who didn't and took another path and you're put in a good position with the boarding school and the personality you develop there, you take that with you in life, and that's the most important thing."

bundesliga.com: Jesse Marsh is also part of Red Bull Salzburg and has been coach there since 2019 and is now taking over the coaching position at RB Leipzig. You barely missed each other in Salzburg, but have you ever had contact with him and how do you value him as a coach and as a person?

Schlager: "In the summer I moved from Salzburg to Wolfsburg, he took over as the coach there and we only had one or two chats about his philosophies and ideas, which sounded really good, though I decided to make the move to the Bundesliga. I think he's a coach who has a clear philosophy, who can express himself well, he speaks well and explains what he wants but I can't say much more as I never trained with him or spent much time with him. I think he did a very good job with Salzburg, playing in the Champions League for the first time in a while, and I think you see in the documentary how he ticks and how he works, you see that he works with a lot of emotion. A bit like you'd expect from an American, a lot about the team, passion and emotion and perhaps we, as Europeans, can learn a lot from that."

bundesliga.com: The last 13 months have unfortunately been predominantly in the shadow of Corona, how has your private life changed as a result, what things have you been doing outside of football, what hobbies have you taken up?

Schlager: "I kept myself busy with a lot of things because I think it's important to have a clear mind, you have to love life to deliver performances, so you have to protect and enjoy your private life and learn new things. It was very difficult with Corona with social contact practically gone, it was particularly hard as a footballer who isn't in their home country and I had to battle it. I worked with a psychologist. I bought a piano and begun to play it, started to play chess with some friends, things to keep the spirit up, I also read a lot. You need to find a new routine and I think that was the biggest challenge, also to enjoy your day and I think it's gone well for me."

bundesliga.com: Back to football, who were your childhood idols and role models, who did you admire and honour?

Schlager: "There are a few. I'm a big Arsenal fan, during the time Thierry Henry and the likes were there and they played incredible football. I think of the many unbelievable players I've been able to witness, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United was also spectacular, Messi's early days. There were many great players to look at and as a child, I had many teams' jerseys, I had one for Xavi, of course, with a similar name to mine, Barcelona had a great team at the time, perhaps the best of that period. Above all was Pep Guardiola, he was formidable, I look back at videos of him today and wonder how they did it, it was amazing. There were many."

bundesliga.com: The next goal after the qualification for the Champions League with Wolfsburg is the European Championship this summer, how much do you look forward to this tournament and with what expectations do you enter it?

Schlager: "We have to complete the games first and see who is there, nothing is certain. Then go in with no expectations because it'll be the first time for me, so I can't expect anything. It's new territory for me, so if I'm there, I'll try to enjoy it, if I'm allowed to play, then deliver my best, help the team and see what comes of it. We have a good team but perhaps haven't delivered what we're capable of but it hasn't been an easy time with the influence of Corona. I think we'll have time to properly prepare, which will do us good, and I think it'll be a wonderful experience for me. We'll see what happens, I go into every game I play with a will to win."

bundesliga.com: How do you estimate your chances, in a group with the Netherlands, North Macedonia and Ukraine?

Schlager: "Interesting group. We had North Macedonia in the qualifiers, we know them, they beat Germany, they're a danger in the group, a team we've always had difficulty against. Ukraine and the Netherlands are two very good teams, we know what's coming there, lots of good individuals. They will be difficult games but that's why you play football, you want to have challenges, which we have with these opponents and I'm looking forward to the group, the matches and hope to play as well as possible."

bundesliga.com: It feels like half of the Austrian national team consists of players who play in the Bundesliga here in Germany. How much contact do you have with each other, is there something like an Austrian Bundesliga WhatsApp group? How often are you in contact?

Schlager: "I think Germany makes a lot of sense for us Austrians, for the language and the culture. After the games, we talk to each other, see how we're feeling, how we're doing, then we see each other with the national team and we have a super relationship. We're all close and kind to each other, everyone looks forward to meeting. When we play each other so often, we get to know each other even better and it's fun to play against each other, to beat them and tease a little at the next camp. We have a very gelled group with a great team spirit."