Media Day with Emil Forsberg
February 20, 2024
MetroFanatic: Emil, it was discovered, that you first came to America in 2013 for a preseason with Malmo in Florida and you played the Red Bulls with Thierry Henry.
Emil Forsberg: Maybe Thierry didn't play in that game? I don't remember. [He did, and scored Metro's opening goal.]
MF: But that was one of your first games as a professional. How does this journey...
EF: Yeah, it's been a long journey here now. I mean, I've been nine years with Leipzig then and then to come here for my new journey. Yeah, it's been fantastic so far. I'm really looking forward to this season and to be here with the New York Red Bulls and to be with my teammates here. And yeah, I'm just excited. It's going to be fantastic.
MF: In Germany and most of the world, the winner of the league is the champion. And in MLS, they have the Shield and we have three Shields here, which is great. But do you realize that the fans really want the Cup? How does this change your mentality? Does it at all?
EF: No, it doesn't. I want to win everything I can win. It doesn't matter if one Shield or three Shields, I want to win.
MF: Well, the Cup is much more important than the Shield.
EF: I just want to win. For me, it's about winning. I mean, we will try to win everything we can win. That's my mentality. That's our mentality. And everything we can win, we're going to try to win
MF: In Germany, Bayern is such a machine... maybe not this year. Did your mentality of playing for Leipzig change because of that?
EF: I mean, you love to play football. You love to play soccer. You want to win every game you play. Then, of course, you're going to have days. You're going to have teams who are better. But you must have the mentality that when you go into a game, you're going to be able to win this game. You're going to have the quality to win this game. And I mean, this is what we are trying here. This is what the guys are feeling every day. That's why we're training every day, to get better and to win football games and to win championships. Yeah, that's our mentality. We want to win everything we can win.
MF: Can you talk about Tyler Adams and Jesse Marsch a little bit? They are two beloved figures in this stadium.
EF: I've talked to them both, and I hope to see those guys soon. Fantastic guys, fantastic human beings. I had Jesse as a coach and I played with Tyler for I think three, four years. So I mean I know them very well and I had Jesse as assistant coach also one year at Leipzig. Fantastic guys, always supporting me, as I support them and so they gave me some tips.
MF: So this was your decision to come to America. So what did you go to? Did you go to Leipzig and said, I want America?
EF: The alternative popped up and I said I wanted to do it and then it's not up to me. It's about a lot of other things, but I was very clear in my mind what I wanted to do and it was to come here and to play for the New York Red Bulls and to do something great here and to achieve something great.
MF: Are there any teammates, maybe some strikers who would want to join you here?
EF: I mean, like I said, I've been training now six weeks with the guys. I mean, we have a fantastic group, fantastic squad. I'm happy with the guys I have. They are fantastic guys. I know we're going to achieve big things.
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