Lomb: “Not quite realised what we’ve achieved”

In an interview with bayer04.de, Lomb talks about that historic moment on the BayArena balcony, key moments during the course of the season, and how he combines professional football with life as a student.

04 questions to Niklas Lomb

Niklas, how have your first days as a champion felt?

Lomb: Actually no different really. We’re still in the middle of the season, with another highlight every three days. It means we always need to keep up our focus. Sometimes I have a lie down and they’re showing highlights of our games on TV. That really gets me. It’s a really special feeling paired with unending pride. I don’t think we’ve all quite realised what we’ve achieved.

What was particularly touching with the celebrations after the final whistle were the Lomb chants from the fans when they saw you on the balcony. How did that feel?

Lomb: It started with the Europa League game against West Ham United when the fans unfurled a banner for me before the match. That really touched me. There were some watery eyes. It’s obviously not always easy working in the background. You always have to motivate yourself and keep at it. But I love my job and 100 percent accept my role as a team player and will do what’s needed for the team. That’s a given for me. I don’t need any praise for that. Then when you’re on the balcony, having just won the Bundesliga, and thousands of people are calling your name, that’s indescribably great.

Was there a moment this season where you knew that this year could be something special?

Lomb: We knew in the summer that we had a certain level of quality. But quality alone isn’t enough to be champions. You need to play as consistently as we then did. That’s also why we were so reserved. We thought about things one block at a time and only wanted to believe when nothing else was mathematically possible. A key moment was definitely the game against Bayern, but even then we still hadn’t achieved anything. It’s always easily said in hindsight. But there were so many other special games. I remember the two Qarabag matches, against Stuttgart in the DFB Cup, the home game against Hoffenheim, or when Bayern had won in Mainz and we had to respond. The fact we’ve prevailed everywhere says a lot for our strong mentality. There definitely wasn’t a single point, but lots of key moments.

What’s life like for you off the pitch?

Lomb: I’m studying sports business management. I focused fully on sport after leaving school, but whenever I came home from training, all my friends were studying or working. That didn’t satisfy me. So, it was important for me that I kept learning to make sure I had something ready to go in the work market at some point. It’s exam season at the moment. I do three to five hours of studying after training. I don’t have a typical student life but have to teach myself a lot. At the moment I’m studying for mathematical economics. It’s hard, but in the best case scenario I won’t just be celebrating at least one title in May but also having passed my exams [laughs].