Leipzig – RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons made a spectacular comeback against Werder Bremen. The Dutchman, who had been sidelined due to a syndesmosis injury at the end of October, scored two goals in his first match back. These were the first two goals for the club in their eventual 4:2 victory against the team from Bremen. Following the match, the 21-year-old loan player from Paris Saint-Germain spoke about his return to the pitch and what it means to him to be a new version of himself.
RBlive: It’s your first game after a long injury layoff; how did it feel?
Xavi Simons: It felt great. I’m really happy to be back on the pitch with the guys, enjoying what we all love: playing football.
You scored two goals right off the bat. Did you expect that?
Simons: Did you?
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RBlive: And you?
Simons: I’m not surprised. I know what I do for my football. This is my life. There’s not a day I don’t think about it. Even during my injury, I lay in bed thinking about how I could come back even stronger.
How were the last months for you?
Simons: It was a long journey. The team had its ups and downs, and so did I. That’s life. Not being able to help was challenging.
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The Werder game was your first since the end of October, and you started right away. After your second goal, just before the half-time mark, you lay on your back for a while. You looked exhausted.
Simons: That had nothing to do with it. Those were just feelings. I’ve trained a lot and pushed myself to the limit with the physios and my personal trainer. I’m quite fit.
You often jump onto the advertising boards when you score. This time, it took you two attempts to stay up there. What was going on?
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Simons: It’s been a while since I scored a goal. So I needed a little time to stay stable on the first attempt. But I knew that Lois (Openda, editor’s note) was there to back me up.
You made sure that the stadium announcer now uses your full name instead of just Xavi when announcing goals. How did that come about?
Simons: There’s a new Xavi. I want to start everything afresh, including my name. My name is Xavi Simons, so it should be used that way.
What else is new about you?
Simons: Everything is new. My character, everything. I had a lot of time to think. I’ve never been seriously injured before. This was my first time. As I said: I thought about what I can do better.
What can you improve on?
Simons: I’d like to keep that to myself. I’ve also spoken with the coach about it. We’ve talked a lot. Right now, it feels like a second chance for me.
