From BZ/dpa
Jean-Paul Boëtius has had eventful months at Hertha BSC. He quickly returned to the pitch after undergoing tumor surgery. Now he wants to correct the table image with the Berliners.
Jean-Paul Boëtius (28) wants to take on even more responsibility after surviving testicular cancer. He does not see the sporting situation of the Berliners as dramatically as they are in 15th place in the table.
“Of course we’re too low, but I haven’t heard about the relegation battle in the dressing room, and I don’t think it will be an issue this season either,” said the Dutchman at a media round at the Hertha training camp in the USA.
“We’re not where we belong, that’s my opinion and also that of the team, we have to improve on that in the second half of the season,” the midfielder called for more concentration in the final minutes.
Jean-Paul Boetius switched to Hertha in the summer and played six games for the Berliners before his illness Photo: picture alliance / Tim Rehbein/RHR-Foto
The Berliners had given away points several times this season due to late goals. “We have so many great kickers and then it’s nice that we sometimes play around with the ball,” said Boëtius. But: “To concede goals in the last five minutes is annoying.”
Even after the tumor diagnosis and the subsequent testicular operation, he never lost heart. “Those were maybe two special days for me, after that it was just fine again. I got the good news very quickly that it was very positive and also the support from the team, the fans, from people I’ve never seen or spoken to, that did me a lot of good,” he said of the difficult situation in the Bundesliga last fall.
“One can complain about many things…”
“You can complain about so many things, but there are always people who are worse off than me,” said Boëtius, describing his attitude despite the illness. Chemotherapy, like colleagues Timo Baumgartl from Union Berlin or Sebastien Haller from Borussia Dortmund, Boëtius was spared. Just a few weeks after the operation, he returned to the soccer field.
Boëtius has played for the Berliners in eleven Bundesliga games so far. Now, following his transfer to the capital last summer, he not only wants to score his first goal, but go even further.
“I try coaching because I speak different languages and we are different nationalities in the team,” he said. He wanted to “bring everyone together.”