Reinhardt: ‘Then Flo Wirtz can do it too’

Knut, first of all we wish you many happy returns and above all good health on your birthday. I suppose you can't really do much because of the pandemic. What does your 53rd birthday look like?
Reinhardt: Thank you for that. It's true that there sadly can't be any big parties this year. But there's another reason for that on top of the pandemic: I have an open day at school today…

…and we are happy to be your first appointment of the day and are excited to see what feedback you can give us about your time at Bayer 04.
Reinhardt: I spent all my teenage years at this club and progressed through all the teams from the U12s upwards. I played in the Bundesliga when I was 17 and my debut was against Bayern Munich. I had a good run at Leverkusen and won the UEFA Cup at an early age. But it wasn't just the sporting success that shaped my time at Bayer 04. I got to know lots of great people over the years.

After retiring in 2001 you started studying to be a teacher and you are now working at a secondary school. How did this choice of career come about?
Reinhardt: It wasn't easy to start something new after retiring from the game. As a football player you are generally just a player and unqualified in all other areas. (He laughs) I wanted to do something that was really fulfilling and something I could be passionate about. But when I started to study mathematics and sport nobody really took it seriously. But I completed the course – and I'm very happy about that today.

Are you just seen as a teacher by your students or from time to time as a Champions League winner and champion of Germany?
Reinhardt: I'm not a typical teacher but more somebody to support learning. I've experienced so much, it felt like being right at the top but also right at the bottom. I try to build a relationship with them to be able to then develop as best as possible. At the beginning I was seen as a typical teacher but now the children Google my name more and more often. And then some of them are surprised to see who is standing in front of them. That helps me a lot and I motivate them with autograph cards.

What are you aiming for?
Reinhardt: Football and school have a lot in common. You don't always have to be the most talented pupil to achieve something. Commitment and ambition can achieve a lot. And it's the same in football. Sticking to the rules is equally important in both areas – in the school system and in football. Anyone who doesn't stick to the fundamentals and rules is off. From the pitch but also from school.

In football you win titles. In the end that is a way of measuring the success of the individual. How does it work with teaching?
Reinhardt: At the moment, it's difficult from day-to-day because we have to teach remotely. I miss the direct contact with the students, normal lessons. A lot of children don't have the devices to properly be able to follow the online lessons. Of 25 children in the class, I lose an average of one fifth. That's too many. Too many. Lots of problems have come to the surface through the coronavirus pandemic. But we're trying to make the best of the situation.

A-levels are taking place at the moment. You took your A-levels as well. Was it the right decision looking back?
Reinhardt: I was 16 and on the verge of the first-team squad and I earned more than my father at the age of 17. Back then people kept asking me why I was taking my A-levels. It was a difficult phase of finding myself and I didn't have anything else in my head except for football. But fortunately my father had his feet on the ground and he kept saying to me that I should take my A-levels. Even if I didn't get good results. (He laughs) I had to do without certain things at the time because the teachers weren't as tolerant as they are today. There were no sports classes or football boarding schools. I had to battle my own way through. Given my career development, I can say today: It was absolutely important and right to get that qualification. That's why I would recommend it to every other young player.

Florian Wirtz is now in a similar situation at the Werkself and he has to manage the balancing act of professional football and A-level exams. How do you deal with that double burden?
Reinhardt: You have one advantage as a professional footballer. You are well organised and can produce performances at the right moment. As a professional athlete you mostly know exactly what's needed at the precise moment and what you have to do to get through it. Getting through was always my mantra. You don't have to get top marks. If I could do it in those days, then Flo Wirtz can do it too.