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TSGDocu - Deniz Solmaz - "Simply Different

Part 6: The Former Players

In the last part of the interview series, we present you with a few impressions of various people who have crossed Deniz Solmaz's path at some point in their careers.

We start with Steffen Schmidt, who played for Sportfreunde Siegen in the second division and was also a coach at SC Waldgirmes and FV Breidenbach:

I have known Deniz for almost 22 years now. At first, he was coached by my brother in the D-youth. When I was an A-youth player myself, the C-youth coach asked me if I would like to help him in training from time to time. At that time, Deniz was a goalkeeper in the C-youth team, and I think he was also a member of the Hesse team. Back then, Deniz wasn't the biggest physically, which hasn't changed (laughs). That is certainly a disadvantage for a goalkeeper. But he made up for this disadvantage with his talent. He was an inquisitive, hard-working and, above all, very self-confident guy. Above all, his self-confidence was very pronounced. It has to be said that here in the northern Dill district, understatement was rather in demand and probably still is. I myself was always a fan of "keeping the balls flat" before and after the game and showing the opponent who is the boss in the ring. But you don't always manage to bridge the gap between "before and after" ... For Deniz, this gap was never a problem, almost non-existent - there was never a discrepancy between doing and thinking. It's a pity that he had to end his own playing career early due to injury. Over the years, I have watched him from afar - for example, when he turned the youth department in Eschenburg around. Straightforward without caring what the club or outsiders thought about him. The players and I think also the parents noticed what he was doing and appreciated it without reservation. In Eschenburg, however, it quickly became too small and too cramped for him. I didn't follow the beginnings in Wieseck so closely. It was only when I was closer to the action as a Waldgirmes player that he was back in my focus. With a lot of passion and care for "his boys" and "his coaches", he ploughed on and followed his line. It's no surprise to me that not everyone got along with this way of doing things - but I also believe that if you take a closer look at Deniz and make the effort to understand him - you can't have any trouble with him in the long run. Since we are relatively different, we didn't always agree, especially when it comes to assessing players and how to present oneself as a talented footballer. I think we would be a very good team in this respect, but distance and certain life circumstances don't allow it. Just the thought of fighting with him more often appeals to me (laughs).

Deniz has set a lot in motion in his time - what has come about in Wieseck in the last few years is phenomenal. In regular conversations I always hear that he is happy with what he is doing. He knows what is good for him and he lives it. The question is where he would have "ended up" if he had had a certain amount of diplomacy in his quiver a few years ago. It is possible, however, that he would not be as satisfied with his situation as he is now. But Deniz (and all his comrades-in-arms) have accompanied a lot of boys on the path that every footballer dreams of. But it is also crucial that each of these boys knows where he comes from - just like Deniz. Especially in professional football, there is still a lot of potential in this aspect - everyone can kick. But can they all permanently subordinate themselves to a common goal? Can they all get through difficult phases without complaining? Are they all able to take responsibility, even when the headwind gets stronger - do they all have the necessary self-confidence? Are they all prepared to put their personal sensitivities behind them for the sake of common success? If anyone can demand these things again and again, it is Deniz. He will not allow himself to be bent. I wish him the necessary energy, the willingness to develop personally and that many people support him in this.