'As a player, you realise how much you miss the crowd'

Carsten, do the forthcoming matches behind closed doors in the Bundesliga remind you of the Champions League game at AS Roma in 2004?
Not directly. Of course, in certain situations you fundamentally remember things you've experienced and then you make comparisons. I know what it's like playing behind closed doors. But the situation now is different as it affects a large number of games. Nevertheless, I can understand it. It will be interesting to see the how the players and fans see the new situation.

Did the crowd factor play a role in that match in Italy or were you able to put the empty stands out of your mind on the pitch?
It felt funny. When the ref blows his whistle to start the game then, as a player, you realise how much you miss the crowd and how good it is when the stadium’s full. It was a bizarre moment; at the end of the day, it was a Champions League match. And nevertheless you didn't really feel it was such an important match.

As a professional player, what do you think about a game like that without fans when you're used to playing in front of full houses?
Of course, I thought about it a lot before the game. The fact it was an away game for us meant Roma had to manage without home support. You can obviously exploit that situation as the away team. It could be a slight disadvantage to home teams in situations like we have now. Nobody can tell me the players are really in the right mood. Without any fans, even if you can hear the goalkeeper and the coach, it is and remains a funny situation. Nevertheless, you have to try make the best of it.

For you it was just one game back then and now the Werkself players face nine match days without fans. What would go through your head as a player?
It's important to deal with the circumstances at hand. It's the same for everybody: It's a surprise at first when a new and unusual situation comes along. But the players have to accept it all. I think the first two or three games will be very unusual for them. After that, they'll gradually get used to the situation.

There will be different conditions in the stadiums. Communication with each other but also with opponents and the referee will be heard word for word. Do you have to watch out what you say as a player? And is that at all possible in the heat of the battle?
I don't know exactly how each team communicates. But normally there aren't any insults or the like. Of course, you use the words that every amateur football knows if a shot misses the target or something goes wrong. That's completely normal and I think people like hearing that from time to time.

Finally: How will you follow Bayer 04's Bundesliga games?
Totally relaxed, as is generally the case with the whole of the Bundesliga. At the moment, it's not as attractive as usual. I've got used the fact there are no football games at the moment and I've lost a bit of enthusiasm. Perhaps it will be better when the games get going again. It is good the season’s restarting but, nevertheless, it’s no comparison to what we saw before the fixtures were suspended.

Personal details:
Carsten Ramelow was born in West Berlin on 20 March 1974. After playing for a number of amateur teams in Berlin, the midfielder joined the Hertha Berlin youth set-up in 1991. In 1993, he made it to the final of the DFB Cup with the Hertha Reserves with the Werkself winning the game 1-0. Ramelow played for Bayer 04 Leverkusen from 1996 to 2008. He scored 31 goals in 437 appearances for the Black and Reds.