Six Questions: Sydney Lohmann of Bayern Munich
Sydney Lohmann has achieved a lot in a young career already…
Being a key player for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Bayern Munich and having represented her country at international level at the age of just 20 speaks volumes about her talent.
She is a leader in midfield and an energetic, hard-working player who covers a lot of ground on the pitch.
It’s evident that her maturity is way beyond her years.
Sydney has also won the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship on two different occasions in 2016 and 2017.
Here, Sydney talks about the hardest opponents she has come up against and breaking into the Bayern senior team at a young age, among other things.
Via fcbayern.com
Growing up, who have been your idols in the footballing world?
Over time there were many I admired.
For example, Andres Iniesta, he is such an amazing player who plays simple and very intelligently.
I also admired Bastian Schweinsteiger.
He was a machine in the midfield with a great personality.
I also remember watching YouTube videos of Marta from Brazil.
Her technique paired with her speed made her one of the best in women’s football.
[I can imagine that in your position as a midfielder you would have come up against some difficult opponents already]
Are there any particular opponents who gave you a hard time?
Hearing that question, our semi-final game against Barcelona in 2019 comes to mind.
They have always been great in ball possession!
Playing against Kheira Hamraoui was very hard because of her physical strength and skills with the ball.
In the league, I would say Alexandra Popp and Ewa Pajor are difficult to defend against.
But those games are the most fun because they challenge you and make you a better player and you have to go beyond your limit.
What is it that got you into football and what made you choose it over any other sport?
I started playing with my dad on the street and when I was 4 years old, I wanted to join a football club.
For a while I played both tennis and football but for me it was always clear that I would go for football.
The feeling of being part of a team, back then playing with other kids and friends, I loved it!
It’s also the game itself of course, on one hand it’s so simple, you just need a ball and markers for the goals and on the other hand it is very versatile.
That’s why it’s played all over the world.
No matter what social background you have, football connects people and that’s what’s so amazing.
You have had the honour of representing the German National Team at a very young age, how would you describe the experience?
It was an amazing experience.
Everything went so fast.
It was my first time with the national team, you don’t even have much time to think about it and suddenly I got substituted onto the pitch and a dream came true.
It was actually hard to realize it at that moment because you focus on the game but I did enjoy every minute of it.
In your first full season for the Bayern senior team, at just the age of 18, you were a key player and a leader in the midfield, how would you describe that season?
I didn’t expect everything to happen so quickly.
The coaches trusted me and gave me a good feeling which was also very important and with that confidence things just worked out well.
It’s like a flow you get in to.
Not every game was perfect, I had to get used to the intensity and high level of playing.
My game had to mature and become more constant but, in the end, I have learned so much in such a short time.
Are there any short-term goals that you have set for yourself for the upcoming season?
Of course, to have a successful season with Bayern Munich.
Help the new players to integrate within the team so that we all grow together to reach our playing potential and win a title.
I want to become an integral part of the national team and develop as a player and person on and off the field.
