Interview with Mattias Falck (Werder Bremen): “Hopefully have good cup memories soon”

Werder Bremen will be among the quartet of participants at the Liebherr Cup Final Four on January 4 in the ratiopharm arena Ulm/Neu-Ulm for the first time since 2019. In this interview, Bremen's former world championship runner-up Mattias Falck talks about his expectations of the tournament, draws comparisons with the cup culture in other countries and outlines his plans for the future.

Mattias Falck, the Liebherr Cup Final Four will be your debut in the cup finals for Werder Bremen. What are your expectations for the first highlight of the season?

I am completely focused on our team. We hope and expect a great and enjoyable day where we can play at a high level. We know that we are a strong team when we show our best table tennis. We will try to do that again at this spectacular event.

How important is the cup in the busy schedule of a TTBL star?

It's very important, of course. It's a big deal to get the chance to win this trophy. That's why I'm really looking forward to playing in this attractive tournament.

In the semi-final, you will face Champions League winners 1. FC Saarbrücken TT directly. What are Werder's chances in this match?

Saarbrücken is a very good and strong team, and of course they are the favorites against us.

In the TTBL, Bremen managed a 3:2 win in Saarbrücken. Can this result have any significance when we meet again in the cup?

We showed that we can also win against them. We know that from this win and that means we can play against them with a little more confidence.

In the years before you joined Werder, you played in your home country of Sweden and in France. Was the cup competition as important in these two countries as it is in Germany?

No, in my time in Sweden and France there was no cup competition. In Sweden, the cup has just been introduced, but the level is not as high as in Germany.

Do you have a special memory of a cup event in your career?

Unfortunately not yet. But hopefully I'll have good cup memories soon.

In the TTBL, the play-off places are more competitive than possibly ever before, and last year's winners Borussia Düsseldorf and Bundesliga leaders TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell have already been eliminated before the Liebherr Cup Final Four. Could winning the cup as the first title of the season ease the pressure on your team?

That would certainly be the case. The TTBL is incredibly strong this year, so it's tough for any team to get into the play-offs. A title would be reassuring.

In the summer, you first had to undergo a groin operation and then settle for the role of number four in Sweden's Olympic team. How do you look back on these setbacks a few months later?

Such setbacks are part of sport. On the one hand, I'm glad that I had time to have my injury treated after having problems with it for over two years. On the other hand, I am of course sad that I missed the Olympics. But my teammates and I had the best possible Olympic tournament together, and I'm happy about that.

You are playing your sixth season in Bremen and only recently extended your contract with Werder by two years until 2027. What are the most important reasons for your loyalty to Werder?

Werder is a great club. I feel comfortable and at home in Bremen. That's why it was an easy decision for me to stay for another two years.

At the end of your new contract, you will be almost 36 years old. Are you planning to continue your career for at least one more season until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles?

Yes, my goal is clearly to be at the top level in 2028. We'll have to wait and see what my physical condition will be like in four years' time, but the 2028 Olympics are my biggest motivation.

Could Bremen be your last stop as a professional?

Yes, it really could be. I really like being in Bremen and playing for Werder. That's why it's possible that I'll end my active time in Bremen.

Thank you very much for the interview, Mattias Falck.

Interview: Florian Manzke

Featured images in the text: Mattias Falck (Photo: SV Werder Bremen)

Overview of the Liebherr Cup Final Four on January 4, 2025

Semi-finals, from 11 a.m.
Semi-finals 1: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TTC OE Bad Homburg
Semi-finals 2: SV Werder Bremen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 

Final, following
Winner Semi-finals 1 – Winner Semi-finals 2

Tickets for specific seats can be ordered in the TTBL ticket store, by telephone on 0761 888499 99 and at all known advance booking offices.