TM interview
Theo Janotta is one of the positive surprises of the regional league team Blau-Weiß Lohne. The 20-year-old, who moved from the top division club VfL Oldenburg in the summer, made his way into the starting eleven straight away and made his way into the notebooks of other clubs thanks to his strong performances. Sven Bauer spoke to the central defender about his time with Lower Saxony, the game of the year and his career highlights so far.
Transfer market: Mr. Janotta. How satisfied are you with the season so far in Lohne?
Theo Janotta: The start of the season obviously went very well. After a mixed phase, we have found the right path again and are in a very good position to achieve our goal of staying in the league.
Transfer market: You were on the pitch for a special game: semi-final in the state cup, a strange 2-0 win on penalties, VfB Oldenburg didn’t score once. How emotional was this encounter?
Janotta: Because of my Oldenburg past and the fact that I still know a lot of players, it was very emotional. However, I was able to ignore it and was thrilled to make it to the final in front of such a big crowd.
In the semi-finals of the Amateur Cup in Lower Saxony, BW Lohne and Janotta prevailed against Oldenburg. © Imago
Transfer market: SV Meppen is waiting in the final. The game of the season for you and your club?
Janotta: Absolutely! Meppen is a large, traditional club with a great fan culture. In addition to staying in the league, getting into the DFB Cup would be a great success for the club and for me.
Start in Lohne “consistently positive”: Janotta thanks for the trust
Transfer market: You came to Lohne in the summer and played your way into the team straight away. How would you summarize the first third of the season?
Janotta: Consistently positive. I was very well received by the whole club and feel very well looked after. It is a family club that is very special. Of course I didn’t expect to play so much right away, but I’m very grateful for the trust!
Transfer market: How did the change generally come about, what were your goals for the change?
Janotta: My agent takes care of the exchange with the clubs and I concentrate on football. However, the introductory meeting with those responsible was very good and I quickly had a positive feeling. Accordingly, we decided on BW Lohne early on. My goal is to collect a lot of playing minutes, to develop further and to learn from the experienced players.
Transfer market: Last year you were top performers in the league. How did you make the transition so quickly, what do you think are the biggest differences?
Janotta: The biggest differences lie in the quality of the pass, the first contact and the general intensity of the game. Last season I started training with an individual trainer who optimally prepared me for the change with targeted training. I also immediately felt the trust of the coaching team, which of course helped me a lot to consistently deliver my performance on the pitch.
Transfer market: How did the work with the individual trainer come about and how intensive are the units?
Janotta: My former trainer Burak Baher brought me into contact with Sven Duschner from “3StepPerformance” in Bremen, who trains with me in his studio once a week. Depending on my training times at BW Lohne, he always creates training and monthly plans for me, so the training intensity varies from week to week. In addition to the sessions with Sven, he also coaches me on the topics of nutrition and regeneration.
Transfer market: You are in a league with traditional names like VfB Oldenburg or SV Meppen and secondary representatives of professional clubs. What games or fans are you most excited about?
Janotta: Because of the great fan culture, I’m particularly looking forward to the games against the traditional clubs. In addition, the games against the second representatives are very interesting, especially for my personal development, as you usually only play against well-trained players whose focus is on solving situations in a playful way.
Transfer market: BW Lohne is rather unknown. Please describe the club, its fans and the environment.
Janotta: BW Lohne is a family club with a great atmosphere throughout the club. There are many volunteers who have been behind the club for years and give everything for it. The infrastructure is already very good and is only getting better. We also have a great average audience. The fans are always behind us and push us throughout the entire 90 minutes.
Transfer market: How often does training take place, where does trainer Uwe Möhrle focus?
Janotta: Depending on the schedule, three to four times a week. The coach plans the training week based on the match plan for the upcoming game. He also includes us and the load control is therefore very good.
Transfer market: What impression do you have of the ex-professional, what have you been able to learn in this short time?
Janotta: Uwe is a very friendly person who likes to talk to people and, especially since he was a former professional in my position, he gives me a lot of tips and I can learn a lot from him. He was able to give me a lot of advice, especially when it came to positional play and build-up play.
Janotta’s development boost as a central defender: pressure brings focus
Transfer market: You are 20 years young and are at the beginning of your career. How do you rate your development, especially since it has already led to the regional league from the U16 level without a big NLZ?
Janotta: I’ve only been playing in central defense since the U19s and since then my personal development has continued to improve. Together with the support of my family, my advisor and individual trainer, I have a lot of support to be able to push myself to the limit of my performance.
Transfer market: You feel most comfortable in central defense. What fascinates you about the position?
Janotta: Since you’re usually the last man standing, you can’t afford to make any mistakes. This pressure gives me great focus on my task. I’m also very tall and strong in the air, which are ideal conditions for a central defender. I also like having a good overview of the pitch and building the game from the back.
Transfer market: Do you have a role model?
Janotta: I have no role model at all. I used to always like Sergio Busquets because of his calm nature and when it comes to mentality you have to say Cristiano Ronaldo.
Transfer market: In terms of consulting, you work with Mirko ter Horst (“Triple M Sports”). What do you hope to achieve from it?
Janotta: We have a very close exchange and thanks to his good work I can concentrate exclusively on football. I would like to go down the path to professional football with him and look forward to our continued time together.
Transfer market: Your contract in Lohne runs until 2025, your good performance has already aroused interest. What is the current standing?
Janotta: Of course I’m pleased that my achievements are viewed positively. As you said, my contract runs until 2025 and I’m focused on the here and now. I don’t deal with the issues either, because that’s why I have my advisor Mirko ter Horst, who deals with everything related to football.
Transfer market: What general goals have you set for your career?
Janotta: I invest a lot of time and energy into football. So of course I want to go into professional football. We’ll see how far it goes!
Transfer market: What do you do when you’re not on the soccer field?
Janotta: I study architecture and also like to play a game of tennis. I also like spending time with my girlfriend.
Transfer market: Please tell us an experience from your footballing life.
Janotta: A special experience was of course the double victory in the U15 with Werder Bremen. It was also a highlight when we played a friendly with VfB Oldenburg against the professionals from Werder Bremen.
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