Mwene: “We’ve created some EUROs fever”

On Tuesday evening, Phillipp Mwene played 69 minutes for Austria at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, as Ralf Rangnick’s men secured a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Germany. When he was back in Mainz, Mwene spoke about the game-defining moments, the mood back at home and FSV’s current situation.

Congratulations on the win over Germany, Phillipp! How did you find the game?

Mwene: It was an amazing game and a great finish to our international calendar. We didn’t approach it like any other friendly, since Austria playing against Germany is a bit like a local derby. The main thing for me was being able to get more game time under my belt. The whole team put in a strong performance. We know how good Germany are, but we played aggressive football and focused on winning the ball back high up the pitch. We didn’t give them many chances at all and could’ve won by an even bigger margin if we had been better on the ball in attack.

What was it like after the game?

Mwene: We celebrated a bit after the game, mostly with the all the staff in the changing room. There were a few Austropop songs, but things were pretty quiet by the time we got back to the hotel...

Things are looking up for Austrian football at the moment...

Mwene: It’s the exact opposite of the mood in Germany. The whole country is delighted. We’ve created a bit of EUROs fever after our qualifying campaign. There’s a lot of passion every game, both on the field and in the stands. Playing for the national team is really fun at the moment.

How disappointing is it that you had to go without your travel buddy, as Karim Onisiwo recently announced his retirement from international football.

Mwene: Yes, it’s a massive shame! He’s a funny guy and he made the journeys more entertaining. At the end of the day, though, it was Karim’s decision to focus fully on playing for Mainz. He’ll still keep his fingers crossed for us.

You were directly involved in one of the game’s decisive moments. Can you describe what happened in the 49th minute from your perspective?

Mwene: I got the ball and managed to get past Leroy Sané. Then, he didn’t even attempt to win the ball and just stood on my calf. That annoyed me, because he’d fouled a few of our other players and was just letting off steam. I got up and confronted him and, in the heat of the moment, grabbed him by the throat. It was definitely a bad move on my part. That being said, he definitely overreacted. I went to ground, because he grabbed my head and my neck. Nevertheless, I have to commend him for apologising after the game. He got carried away, but it’s all sorted now. That’s the end of that.

You qualified for next summer’s European Championships convincingly. How far do you think you can go?

Mwene: Qualifying was our main goal. Now, we’ve got four friendlies coming up that we want to use to get into the best possible position before the tournament kicks off. I’m aiming to be on the plane, to play and to help my country out as much as possible. We’re not thinking any further ahead just yet. 

You made your comeback to the side against Darmstadt after getting injured. You can see why people view your call-up to the national side as a vote of confidence from Ralf Rangnick, can’t you?

Mwene: Definitely. I was really happy to be back in action and to have the chance to play against Germany. It shows his faith in me and I think I repaid it.

Are you back to your best?

Mwene: I’ve still got some work to do. I’m feeling good and played for more than 70 minutes against Darmstadt and almost 70 yesterday. I’d like to think that I’ll be able to go the full 90 soon.

You injured your knee against Augsburg in September and you were sidelined for longer than expected. Why was that?

Mwene: It was down to the fact that it was hard to make a diagnosis. We had to see how I was doing on a day-by-day, then a week-by-week basis. It took a while to get better at first, which meant that I was out for almost six weeks. There wasn’t a definite way of solving the problem. It was a case of trying a few different things in order to relieve the strain on my knee. It was an intense period of time and I spent a lot of time in the weights room. I went to a lot of therapy sessions, too. I’m just happy now that I can get back out on the pitch and play.

We seem to be having a lot of bad luck with injuries at the moment...

Mwene: It’s like we’re cursed. Now Maxim is out of action again. We’ve got to stick together because you never know who’s going to get injured next. We need everyone to be fit.

When you were injured, you had to watch from the sidelines as the team struggled to turn things around on the pitch. And then Bo left. You must’ve imagined making your comeback under slightly different circumstances.

Mwene: I’ve been keeping up to date with how things are going here for the past couple of years. It goes without saying that Bo was a big factor in my decision to come back to Mainz. It hurt that I couldn’t do anything to help out. You kick yourself, since you want to be playing at times like that. But that’s football. We’ve got to look ahead now. I feel really bad about how things ended, but we’re still in a tricky position. We’ve got to keep picking up points.

We haven’t conceded in either of our past two games and have moved off the bottom of the table: what do we need to do to make sure we’re in an even better position going into the winter break?

Mwene: We need a lot of energy in our game. We’ve probably been lacking it a bit up to this point. It’s tricky to say why. It’s partly down to mentality, too. The first few challenges or passes in a game can be crucial. That being said, we can’t just sit around and hope. We’ve got to be proactive and play to the best our ability. We’ve got to have faith in our quality and stay confident when the going gets tough. If we do that, we can even beat the top teams, just like we did a few weeks ago. Football is a results-based business; the best way to gain confidence is by picking up points.

And how have you found working with Jan so far?

Mwene: He’s helped to re-energise the side with his speeches and his enthusiasm. He was really fired up in his first few days. It was probably exactly what we needed at the time. Of course, it still takes a bit of time to get used to a new coach and new ideas, but we’re all professionals and have to react to the circumstances as best as we can. We’re always open to new ideas and Jan brings them to the table every day.

2,500 Mainz fans are set to make the trip to Sinsheim to support the team. How do you think the game’s going to go?

Mwene: We’re delighted that so many fans are coming to support us – we need them. Hoffenheim are a good side and have a lot of quality, but we know that we can win the ball high up the pitch and create opportunities in transition. I haven’t trained yet this week. I’m sure that the coaches will update me about the game plan.

Your comeback to Mainz has had its ups and downs on the pitch so far, but are you happy with your choice?

Mwene: Absolutely! My wife and I felt right at home here during my first spell at the club and nothing has changed since I’ve come back. We’re really happy that we’re back now.