Six Questions: Ben Zlatko Petry of Alemannia Aachen
Six Questions with Ben Zlatko Petry of Alemannia Aachen…
Ben Zlatko Petry is a talented and versatile player who plays for the Alemannia Aachen FC U19 team.
Ben mainly operates as a centre-back but can also play in central midfield or as a right-back. He is good with one-on-one defending and is a good tackler who possesses a lot of pace.
Here, Ben talks about the step up to U19 football and his time at Alemannia Aachen, among other things.
Ben Zlatko Petry
Alemannia Aachen
Growing up, who were your idols in the footballing world?
I would say Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Nemanja Vidic. Ibrahimovic because of his personality and his elite mentality that made him stand out from the rest and prove his doubters wrong, I loved Vidic because he was an absolute beast and I love watching videos of his best tackles.
Having played in a variety of positions on the pitch, you would have come up against some difficult opponents in your career already, are there any particular opponents that you can name who gave you a hard time?
I would say the most difficult opponents I have come up against are Florian Wirtz when he still played for 1. FC Köln and more recently Bradley Fink of Borussia Dortmund U19.
Florian Wirtz because he played like an old man with the body of a 17 years old. He played in such a smart and effortless way. Bradley Fink stood out because he is just unstoppable. He is tall, fast and almost every shot he takes results in a goal.
How big of a step-up do you think it is to go from U17 to U19 football in Germany?
It was a very big step-up because at U17 level you always play against players your age but at U19 you play almost every game against older players and that‘s really difficult.
Are there any particular coaches who have played a big role in helping you reach where you are today that you would like to thank?
His name is André Wolf. I played for SV Eilendorf and he wanted me to come to Alemannia Aachen. After my first test training in Aachen I got injured in a game for Eilendorf but he believed in me and he knew that I was good and he still said that he wants me.
Are there any goals that you have set for yourself for the current season?
My goal is to play every game and always give my best for the team and of course a good season from me personally means goals and assists.
You joined Alemannia Aachen in 2017, what would you say has been your best memory at the club since then?
We used to play in the U16 Mittelrheinliga (1 league under Bundesliga) and my team had to play their game without me because I was chosen to play for the older U17 Team of Aachen (U17 Mittelrheinliga). We played against U17 Wiehl and it was a very difficult game but we had to win to play in the Bundesliga and I scored the goal that put us up 1-0, it was the most important goal in my career and a moment that I will never forget!