Things are going well for Marwin Hitz and FC Basel this season.Picture: KEYSTONE
Interview
Basel goalkeeper Marwin Hitz has had a very special path. In an interview with the news agency Keystone-SDA, he talks, among other things, about why FCB is doing so well at the moment.
Marwin Hitz only played his first game in the Super League shortly before his 35th birthday. This is due to the fact that he moved to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg in 2008, after playing with Winterthur in the Challenge League – knowing that he would only be there as a number 3 goalkeeper.
“I saw the opportunity to play under a coach (Felix Magath) with an incredible reputation in every direction, with a team that wanted to attack,” said Hitz, explaining the move in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency. “Of course I knew that I would need a lot of patience and that I would have to come up a lot physically. Many were waiting for me to come back in the winter. But then I stayed in Germany a little longer (laughs).
The doubt drove Hitz. “Apart from my family, I didn’t get much support in football. I don’t have good memories of my childhood there; I was so disappointed that I learned to deal with them. I built a lot of resilience.” The fact that Hitz developed later than others in football has to do with the fact that he completed a three-year commercial apprenticeship. “I was very tired during this time, it was very tiring. But training was important to me from the start.”
Grateful for opportunity
He stayed at Wolfsburg for five years, although he only made 13 appearances in the Bundesliga. «I was always able to draw energy from this difficult time. And I was grateful to have this opportunity at all,” says Hitz. In 2013 he moved to league rivals Augsburg, where he was number 1 from November of the same year. What made this successful time even more special for him was that he got married and the first two of his three children were born.
In 2018, Hitz transferred to Borussia Dortmund despite knowing that his company Roman Bürki was leading. “For me it was the only top 15 club in Europe where I saw an opportunity for myself to be number 1 at some point,” says Hitz. “The appeal of playing for such a club in such a stadium with such a ‘wall’ was so great that I took the step.
This, though, was another disappointment for him. As he reached number 1 at BVB at the end of January 2021 and extended it to 2023 a month later, Dortmund signed another goalkeeper, Switzerland Gregor Kobel, for the 2021/22 season. Hitz had to fall back again. “I quickly realized then that at my age it was impossible to pass him because he gave great performances,” said Hitz. That’s why he decided to quit the contract early and join FC Basel. So he ended up in the Super League late. FCB welcomes Servette on Sunday.
Interview with Marwin Hitz:
Marwin Hitz, FC Basel doing very well. You have won five of your last six games and are one point behind Zurich in second place in the table. Why is it going so well right now?
Marvin Hitz: We worked very well in preparation and set ourselves a goal of improvement in all areas. We got points in important stages last season, but not with the style we want to play football. Then a lot of good people joined, also in terms of character. We have the best team in terms of quality since I’ve been here. This results in a good level of training. Everyone pushes each other, everyone wants to be successful without having too big of an ego. It’s a very positive relationship.
You have scored the most goals in the current championship and, together with Zurich and Lugano, you have conceded the fewest. That represents a good balance in the team.
That is not unusual, but of course a very good sign for the team. However, in my opinion we still allow too many shots on goal and big chances. We were also
How big of a promotion is the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri?
He brings enormous quality and plays very unselfishly. But since he is dependent on his teammates of course, it didn’t work that well in the beginning. At first it was a matter of ‘finding yourself’. Being the most successful Swiss footballer probably gives a wow effect to many people. When such a player says something, people listen carefully.
A little more than a year ago the feeling was diametrically different. FCB were in last place in the table with five points from the first eleven games. For a meditative person like you, this situation could be extremely difficult.
It was definitely the most difficult time in my football career, although I experienced many ups and downs. I felt helpless – on the field, which is one of the worst things, but also off it. A lot went wrong, a lot came together. But what I was most proud of during this phase was that we never fell apart. We never picked on each other or shifted the blame. That is certainly one of the reasons for the current good run. Many people have stayed here, and a situation like this naturally brings people together.
Can you even come off as a sane person in a situation like this?
It is spinning in my head often, sometimes at night. You feel ashamed when you look so bad and when you play so bad too. The path to training is quite long. Then it’s no fun driving past everyone because you feel responsible for the whole thing. This is even more so in a city where football is alive and well.
At 37, you are in football age. Will it then be easier to deal with such a difficult situation?
As a young player, I always thought it would always be easier with a certain position. But, to be honest, it didn’t happen that way. I worried more and more and felt more responsible if things didn’t work out. But I think that’s a prerequisite to being able to be there for so long. If you stop feeling responsible, the level cannot be maintained.
Speaking of maintaining standards: How much more effort do you have today?
Luckily, I started taking care of myself early. I kept picking things up from fellow players and discovering more. I always did yoga, not only on the massage table, but I also did my exercises myself. I looked at nutrition early. There is also genetic luck. But there is definitely a lot of hard work and discipline behind it that I can still play at this level.
The contract with FCB expires next year. Is there already a trend as to what will happen next?
I talked to my family about this very long and hard last weekend, because the original plan was to end it in 2025. I am someone who always needs a goal, who wants to work towards something. We now decided that I would continue playing for another year if possible. Looking further ahead, it makes no sense at my age. Basel, as a current club where I feel very comfortable, is definitely my first point of contact, it has always been that way for me. Otherwise I would have played for more clubs.
Marwin Hitz’s contract expires next summer.Picture: keystone
Either way, with a real estate company, you already have a foot in the door for your post career.
It was always important for me to have something on the sidelines, to exchange ideas with people outside of football, to learn something new that you haven’t already done 100,000 times. This gives me a certain level of security and allows me to make decisions without pressure. But of course it is not easy to stop.
Back to FCB. The last championship title was seven years ago. Do you feel nostalgic for the championship?
We definitely have a great average viewership this season. However, I do not feel any desire for a title because I think we have come down to earth in recent years. However, we can feel the joy of the fans that most of us are playing good football again. But nobody talked to me about winning the championship, although there are certainly fans who dream of it. Everyone is grateful for the feeling that the club is back on track and everyone is working in the same direction. Spectators who haven’t been to the stadium recently are coming back more often. That’s the best thing about the story right now. (riz/sda)
Oh, what wistful memories: EHC Arosa was still rocking our hockey at the beginning of the 1980s. There are few pictures of the national championship. There is none from Langnau, for example. Legend says – or rather the Uremmental conspiracy theory flourishes – that
the local Emmental mountain Napf makes it impossible to transmit signals to Leutschenbach.
What are some successful career options for professional athletes after retirement?
To fall back on after my football career. I believe in planning for the future while still giving my all to the present. My real estate company allows me to stay connected to the business world and provides stability once I hang up my boots. That said, I’m fully focused on my time with FC Basel and helping the team succeed this season. Balancing both my professional football career and my business ambitions is definitely challenging, but it keeps me motivated and engaged.
Looking ahead, while I am aware that my playing days are numbered, I want to make the most of every moment on the pitch. I still have the passion and drive to compete at a high level, and I hope to contribute meaningfully to Basel’s success before I transition into a new chapter of my life. It’s important to have that balance, and I’ve learned to navigate both worlds effectively. Football has given me a lot, but so has my business, and I’m excited for what the future holds in both areas.