Saying something like that after more than 10 years shows that something is obviously wrong between Leistner’s ears. To react in such a childlike, naive way at the age of well over 30 is simply stupid. The whole thing also against the background that he is at best a mediocre second division player who plays for a mediocre second division club. Maybe he should discuss his “trauma” from back then with a psychotherapist in Berlin and have him treated.
A comment like that makes you wonder who has “trauma”. This triggers you much more than is normal for such an inconsequential aside (which admittedly isn’t worth an article of its own). But at the latest when you remark that he is a maximum average second division player, you expose yourself anyway. His values speak for themselves. Apart from the really underground Bochum game, Leistner is a really strong and, above all, reliable central defender in this league. You might not be able to expect high pace from a player of his age, but when it comes to things like anticipation, tackling ability, aerial supremacy or being able to throw himself into every ball to prevent goals, he is still a big asset for a second division team. There are reasons why he didn’t miss a single league minute in a team that played eight (!) of 13 competitive games to zero (!).
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I think the article ignores the overall context. Hertha won, Leistner really played excellently, the atmosphere of the conversation was very relaxed, he had a few funny sayings in the interview and in that context the sentence was said at the end with a proverbial wink. His statement had nothing to do with bitterness or anything like that.