Frederik Tiffels, 26, has been playing for RB Munich since this season. The attacker is currently the top scorer in the Champions League with eight goals. He finished fourth with the national team at the 2021 World Cup.
Frederik Tiffels‘You are originally from Cologne, so your move from Cologne to Munich was a surprise. How well did you arrive in Munich?
I have a super apartment in a great city and the team is very good. It was definitely the right decision to move to Red Bull Munich. Back then it was a nice step to go to Cologne, I really enjoyed it. But then it just ended.
Munich looks sporty in front of the Kölner Haien and is structurally better positioned – was that the reason for your change?
In general, it’s good to breathe new air. Munich’s participation in the Champions League certainly played a big role for me, it’s always fun to compete internationally. They have successfully delivered in Munich for years. Coach Don Jackson played a big part in this. I heard great things then and I have to say he made me a better player. Don has an incredible aura, appears very calm on the outside, but can tell you what he wants very specifically in a calm tone.
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You were already the best scorer among the German professionals in the team in Cologne, things are now going even better in Munich, they are right at the front in the Champions League and with their goal in the quarter-finals against Lukko Rauma now have their way to the semi-finals. Why is it always better for you?
Several factors play a role here. When the team plays well, I benefit. We play very powerful ice hockey and can play the opponents tired and that opens up gaps from which I can make a profit.
Your team was badly shaken by the virus, you too fell ill and had to take a break. The teams in the league that took it hard still have to nibble at it. In Mannheim, next to Munich’s favorite for the title, things don’t always go smoothly like in Munich. The Eisbären Berlin have been spared the corona disease this season and are now at the top of the table …
Yes, something has shifted. Mannheim and we were dominant before the illnesses. But teams go through different phases, we don’t always have the results we should have. But we’re in an absolute top position in the Champions League, so I wouldn’t consider our situation to be dramatic.
Keyword dramatic: Beijing is an issue for you as one of the best German attackers at the moment. How excited are you for the Olympic Games and how are you following the current discussions about China?
Olympia is definitely a big goal for me. In fact, that is very limited when I follow the current situation. I don’t want to be made crazy about that. Of course I am aware that there is a discussion about the non-participation of the NHL players, then there is also the subject of Corona.
But Olympia is still two months away. There are athletes who say they are considering boycotting the Games.
Yes, I heard about it. Also from the fact that no spectators may come to the games. But I cannot influence that. Let’s see it this way: We have a good depth in German ice hockey. We can definitely put together a good team, whether the NHL players come or not.
You are currently fifth in the world rankings with the national team …
Honest? Well then we’ve come a long way. No, seriously: I’m not really into the details now when it comes to promoting young talent and what the German Ice Hockey Association has in the way of concepts. But it is probably going in the right direction.
You were in North America for six years and a good friend of theirs is very successful in the NHL. How much contact do you have with Leon Draisaitl? Says you are the better golfer?
Yes I am. But I invested more in the sport than he did, I took a lot of coaching lessons. And logo, we are always in touch.
Would you have thought earlier that Leon Draisaitl would get that far?
We all dreamed when we were youngsters curving our inline skates over a church square in Cologne. There were three of us after school, Leon, my brother Dominik and I played inline hockey against six or seven other boys. They then got nine goals and we still won 10: 9. That was kind of nasty of us, we already knew we could do something. But there were a lot of strangers. Leon’s path then became apparent at some point. I think it’s amazing what he’s doing there. I’m really happy for him. If you believe in dreams, then a lot is possible.
What kind of sporting dreams does Frederik Tiffels currently have?
I want to be Champions League winner and German champion.
And go to the Olympic Games?
Definitely too. But the other two competitions are under our control. As far as the Olympics are concerned, a lot can still happen. But when we go to Beijing, we don’t go there just to participate. We want to win something there. We are now so good with the national team that we not only play along, but can also play on the other teams.
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