The ‘Drinking Goalie’ Mark Flekken has come a long way forward from his big mistake as a Duisburg goalkeeper where he was found drinking water from a bottle in his goal as Ingolstadt scored a goal. From playing in the German third division, Flekken worked his way up to become the undisputed No. 1 at SC Freiburg.
His performances for the club in the 2021-22 Bundesliga season earned him plenty of recognition as Flekken bagged the joint-most clean sheets (10), together with three other goalkeepers.
In an exclusive interview with timesnownews.com, the Dutch goalkeeper spoke about his journey from the German third division to Europa League qualification, manager Christian Streich, comparisons with other top goalkeepers and more…
1. You’ve been in the Bundesliga since turning a professional, signing your first contact in 2011. This year, you represented the Netherlands senior national team for the first time and also reached the final of the DFB Pokal. I am sure bigger milestones are yet to come, but tell us something about the journey so far.
Mark: That’s a good question! I started my first professional contract at that time (in 2011). I wasn’t the goalkeeper with the biggest talent but I am someone who has worked very hard to get where I am now. I have just put in a lot of hard work to come to this point in my career. I have had some major setbacks because of big injuries. But, it’s all part of the job as a professional footballer. It has been quite a journey with ups and downs. Happily, I can say that the last season was one big up that got me into the national team.
2. You were playing in the second and third divisions not too long ago. You already are an important member of the Netherlands national team and will be playing in Europe next season. There aren’t many who have had careers with such extremes. Now that you look back at your time in the lower divisions, how important was it?
Mark: It was very important. Without those years and those leagues, I wouldn’t have become the man I am today. They shaped me not just as a goalkeeper but also as a person. Those years shaped my character, my personality. It is not the ideal route to take when you want to become a professional athlete. I am where I want to be. I still want more and it doesn’t matter to me that I didn’t achieve these goals at 24-25 but at 28-29. I took a longer route to the place where I am today but that shaped me as a person, so I am very thankful for those years.
3. Christian Streich is one of the most respected managers, not just in Germany but in European football as a whole. He is a very emotionally expressive person with strong beliefs. Tell us something about your day-to-day interactions with him. Is he a strict taskmaster or someone who jokes around with players?
Mark: Most of the times, he is very serious and focussed on the matter he wants to train. But, he always has time for little jokes. He is someone who wants to get things done. He has the task before him, his eyes set on it. He is always like, we have to be professional, train hard, put everything in. These are the most important things and if that is going well, he has time for a little joke on the side.
4. Freiburg had 10 clean sheets in the Bundesliga last season, which is the joint-highest with three other teams. Though defending remains a collective operation, the achievement must’ve meant a lot for you personally.
Mark: Clean sheets are always important for goalkeepers. Not just for me but for the entire defensive part of the team. The first defensive part starts at the front of a team, with the No. 9 and ends with me in the goal. Every clean sheet we got last season was because of the performance of the whole team, not just because of me or the defenders. It was one big team job. That’s something we have to put up next season as well. We have to put a lot of effort again and ensure we don’t concede too many goals. If you don’t concede one, you can always win.
5. The goals per game stats are the highest in the Bundesliga among the top 5 leagues in Europe. Such a statistic tells you the open and attacking football that is played in Germany. While it’s pure entertainment for fans, it makes the lives of goalkeepers difficult. What is your view on the style of football that is played in the Bundesliga in comparison to other leagues?
Mark: It’s very attacking but also very tactical. It’s not like teams are only playing back and forth or box-to-box. It’s pretty hard to describe the actual gameplay people play here in Germany. I like it as I have a lot to do a lot in the goal. That way, I can show what I am capable of. If I do that right, in combination with the guys playing in front of me then we can achieve a lot in the upcoming season.
6. This is the year of FIFA World Cup which will be your first. You will also be playing in the Europa League for the first time. It must be really exciting to anticipate what all this year is to unfold?
Mark: I am really looking forward to all that is coming up this season but I am not that kind of a person who looks too forward ahead of himself in time. I am someone who wants to look from game to game. Like I already said before, I put the effort in every day. It’s nice to think about it but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.
7. It’s been over four years since you conceded that goal against Ingolstadt. The incident led to a meme-fest on social media. How did you deal with that sort of attention? Has that moment changed you in any manner as a goalkeeper?
Mark: Yes, it made me more alert to that kind of situation. But, now at this stage of the game, every goal and situation gets checked by the video referees. Now, it takes a little bit of time for the kick-off to take place or the free-kick. I have a little more time now to get back to my goal and take a sip of water (laughs).
8. Your style of play is similar to Edwin van der Sar who is also your sporting idol. In the modern game, which goalkeeper do you look up to the most?
Mark: That’s a really good question! Manuel Neuer is still one of the best if not the best goalkeeper. He has a really nice way of playing. There are a lot of goalkeepers who can play really well with their feet and are also really good on the line with their reactions. But, I don’t want to compare myself with anyone. I’ve got my own style, every goalkeeper has his own style and it’s not like I can’t learn from all the goalkeepers but it’s important to see the things that other goalkeepers can do really well but it’s not about copying something blindly. It always has to fit in your own style. That’s why I don’t really can’t compare myself to anybody else because of the unique style that everyone has.
9. Have you ever tried any Indian cuisine?
Mark: Yes, I have tried but those dishes have such difficult names I can’t really remember them. Indian cuisines are really nice, I don’t eat it too often but once in a while, it’s really nice.
Rapid-Fire Questions:
Favourite holiday destination?
Ibiza
Favourite cuisine?
Italian
If not a goalkeeper, which position would you’ve liked to play?
Striker or central defender
Best outfield player in the world?
Karim Benzema. He had a really good year.
Which team is winning the Europa League this year?
Freiburg
Which team is winning the Champions League this year?
Liverpool
Which team is winning the World Cup this year?
The Netherlands
