A conversation that detailed his storied past, plus fresh hope about an unexpected future, is revealed by Christian Trasch.
The 32-year-old represented a left-field addition at Al Wasl in the winter transfer market’s closing moments. Not because he lacks pedigree – the ex-Germany international’s is enviable.
Kevin De Bruyne, Mario Mandzukic, Mario Gomez, Ivan Perisic and Julian Draxler headline a lengthy list of illustrious club-mates at Stuttgart and Wolfsburg from 2008-17.
Trasch’s promise was such that only an ankle sprain suffered against Italian amateurs on the eve of World Cup 2010 prevented him replacing midfield talisman Michael Ballack.
Injury, though, would again bear influence almost a decade later. His homecoming at Ingolstadt was stained by a crushing cruciate ligament tear and the club’s shock relegation to 3. Liga – Germany’s third tier.
This left him unemployed for seven months and training with Regionalliga-outfit VfB Eichstatt, before the Arabian Gulf League’s unanticipated call. Sage words of encouragement about this switch – on a short-term contract – would swiftly arrive from a lauded Juventus and Germany superstar.
“It was a good feeling, because he is a great player and a great personality,” Trasch regales to Sport360 about his time in Stuttgart’s sprightly midfield alongside Sami Khedira a decade ago. “Now, I am in contact with him.
“We are friends and he is a really good guy.
“He gave me congratulations and was really happy that I’d found a new experience for me and my family [in Dubai].
“He said: ‘Do something what you want and not just play football to only play football.’ We did this.”
Trasch’s enduring reputation is built upon his dependability at defensive midfield or right-back.
It is these qualities that convinced Wasl to act upon current centre-back Lucas Galvao’s recommendation about an ex-Ingolstadt colleague. The porous outfit sit eighth in the table, largely because of a rearguard who’ve conceded 28 times in 16 fixtures.
This fallibility was glaring in Saturday’s epic President’s Cup quarter-final loss. Trasch came off hurt on 53 minutes with the score tied at 2-2 – it would, incredulously, finish 6-5 to Al Ain.
Such characteristics persuaded Wolfsburg to send €9 million to Stuttgart for Trasch in July 2011. The deal brought him into contact with one of Europe’s most-idiosyncratic head coaches.
Visit Platinumlist.net throughout 2019/20 to purchase Arabian Gulf League tickets
Felix Magath’s methods are infamous. They include; instructing Fulham captain Brade Hangeland to put cheese on an injury, emptying water bottles in brutal pre-season training at Wolfsburg and setting players essays about their ambitions at Hamburg.
This dogma, seemingly, extended to the serious consequences of sauna etiquette.
Trasch states: “There are a lot of stories. I made the move to Wolfsburg when Magath was there.
“He is a strong coach and the mentality is very important for him. If you have the mentality, he likes you.
“I think I am a typical German; fighting, running, so it was a good decision from me to play for Magath.
“I was one time with my clothes [on] in the sauna for 10 minutes. He then said: ‘You are crazy, wearing clothes in the sauna.’
“I said: ‘Okay coach, you said I have to come in.’
“He then said: ‘You are crazy, if you don’t go out you won’t play the next game.’
“It is really crazy and you can’t believe this. But he is one of the most-famous German coaches, so I was really happy to play for him.”
Christian Trasch (2nd l) during Euro 2012 qualifying.
Contact with a football genius, rather than dictator, would also be experienced at Volkswagen Arena.
De Bruyne cemented his status as the Bundesliga’s premier ‘spielmacher’ (playmaker) in 2014/15’s solitary campaign there. The Belgium ace recorded 28 assists and 16 goals across all competitions, spurring Manchester City to lavish £51m.
Trasch recalls: “It was crazy. He is a fantastic player.
“If the game was stopping and no-one had chances, Kevin took the ball and created some chances for us.
“He was a good player for Wolfsburg, I think we won the 2014/2015 Cup [DFB Pokal], mostly [because] of him.
“It was really good to play with him.”
Dubai now bookends Trasch’s playing days. Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium was the venue for the first of 10 caps, this coming in a 7-2 friendly beating of the UAE in which Gomez struck four times during June 2009.
“It was at the beginning 2-1 to us and then I came in,” Trasch jokes. “The game then changed.
“I think we were really good in this game. Mario Gomez scored four times.
Christian #Träsch is coming home!
— FC Ingolstadt 04_EN (@Schanzer_EN) August 30, 2017
Born in Ingolstadt the 29-year-old is now joining the #Schanzer from @VfLWolfsburg_EN. Welcome back! pic.twitter.com/5L6FEuFzXl
“It was my first game for Germany and I was really happy to do this.
“I have really good memories of this time. I played with a lot of big guys, like Khedira, Gomez…
“I was happy to play with them, as I learned a lot from them. I am really happy to have had the chance to play with these guys.”
This tally of Die Mannschaft appearances would, surely, have been bolstered if not for the cruelty of fate. Trasch was earmarked for a berth in Joachim Low’s 23-man list for South Africa after a fine season with Khedira in Stuttgart’s engine room, plus then Chelsea powerhouse Ballack’s enforced absence.
Damaged ligaments, however, accrued just eight minutes into a 4-0 win against minnows F.C. Sudtirol would rule him out, approximately, a fortnight prior to the World Cup’s kick-off.
Do repeat fitness problems – Trasch failed to register more than 20 Bundesliga run-outs in four of his last five campaigns – sully his recollections?
Christian Trasch (l) challenging Lionel Messi in 2010.
Trasch replies: “It was a good career. All the injuries, all the good things that made it fun.
“There are good times and bad times in every career. Now I am happy to be back on the pitch.
“I am really happy that I had a good career.”
Familiarity at Zabeel Stadium is found in Galvao’s presence, plus boss Laurentiu Reghecampf’s German proficiency following nine years playing there.
Further afield, Bani Yas are being adroitly led by 70-year-old compatriot Winfried Schafer.
Trasch’s wife and two young children – who began school this week – have also travelled. He has even found a famous face to act as chauffeur.
“It is a little bit different to Germany,” Trasch says. “At first, the language is different.
“But my team-mates have taken me in very well to the team. I have an understanding with the foreigners and the local players – it is good.
“Fabio [De Lima – Brazil-born UAE citizen who has notched 102 times in 132 AGL games since 2014] has taken me in his car, as my driving licence is not here yet. There is a good feeling with the team-mates.”
📷| صور من تدريبات #الإمبراطور الختامية. pic.twitter.com/chXBLv0e3k
— Al Wasl SC (@AlWaslSC) February 6, 2020
Trasch’s awaited return to action, 255 days since being an unused substitute in Ingolstadt’s devastating play-off defeat to Wehen Wiesbaden, was February 7’s 1-1 draw against Ajman.
The Bundesliga veteran patrolled the pitch, adding ballast for 75 minutes in tandem with Hamad Al Balooshi.
Sun-kissed days in the UAE’s top flight were not how Trasch would have envisaged winding down a stand-out career. This unforeseen challenge has, however, given a dedicated and indefatigable performer the “motor to come back”.
He says: “It felt very good, the game was fun. We were a bit unlucky because we had a lot of chances to score in the first half, two or three goals.
“Ajman scored a lucky goal and then they sat really deep in their half, so it was difficult for us.
“I felt very well, as I’d trained the last four or five months with a team in Germany so my fitness is really good.
“It is difficult to come back if you are injured. You see your colleagues on the pitch, it is fun to watch them.
“But you want to come back fast as possible. This is the motor to come back.”
Wasl next travel to champions Sharjah on February 27 for the AGL’s resumption.
