Austrians in an interview
©IMAGO
Defender Christoph Klarer has fulfilled his dream of playing professional football in England, although the former Rapid talent had to take a few detours to achieve it. After stints at SKN St. Pölten, Fortuna Düsseldorf and SV Darmstadt 98, the 24-year-old returned to the island in the summer. He had already played there as a junior at Southampton FC. Now he has landed at third division club Birmingham City, who paid a record fee for a defender in League One. In an interview with Transfermarkt, the top performer talks about the pressure, the hoped-for promotion and the anticipation of Boxing Day.
On Boxing Day, the traditional Boxing Day takes place in England and in English football. This year Christoph Klarer is right in the middle of it all. “You notice that the anticipation increases from week to week, whether among fans or players. It is a tradition here that everyone goes to the stadium as a whole family. For many players, parents, siblings or friends travel to be part of this highlight. But not just the games on December 26th. are something special, but also the games just before New Year’s Eve,” says the Lower Austrian.
The time around Christmas will be turbulent for the former ÖFB junior. His team travel away to Crawley Town on December 23rd before playing at home to Burton Albion on Boxing Day. Klarer says: “German or Austrian professionals are not used to this at all because the last match day usually takes place shortly before Christmas and you have a short period of time to recover and take a breather. I’m really looking forward to Christmas because my family is coming to visit. Since I of course knew early on that we would be there on December 23rd. When we play away, my wife and I have already bought a lot of presents in advance.”
Klarer: “I was already fascinated by Boxing Day back then”
Klarer also explains what makes the Christmas season in England so special: “When you walk through the streets, everything sparkles and glitters. You can tell that the English love Christmas. What is a classic here in Birmingham is the ‘Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market’. So a Christmas market that is based on the German model. There are even German signs on some stands and booths.”
Klarer learned the importance of Boxing Day for the English during his time in the youth ranks at Southampton FC. As a 16-year-old at the time, he moved from Rapid Vienna to the first division team’s youth team. “I was already fascinated by Boxing Day back then. No matter which stadium you go to, there is a special, unique atmosphere. You can feel the magic of Christmas. That’s why I’m really looking forward to this year’s Boxing Day.”
Klarer looks back happily on his youth in Southampton, although the early days were associated with great difficulties. “The first few months were very marked by homesickness and loneliness. I think every 16-year-old would struggle with this if they went to a country where they didn’t speak the language well and where a lot of things were different. In fact, I never felt this loneliness on the field. I had incredibly great teammates who looked after me a lot. Over time I also understood what opportunity I had been given. Playing against teams like Arsenal, Tottenham or Chelsea, even if it was just the youth teams, was the greatest thing for me at the time.”
Clearer in a foreign country: “Automatically forced to grow”
At Southampton he learned what it takes to be a good central defender. Among other things, when it comes to toughness and developing your own style of play. Klarer says: “When you go to a foreign country as a young player, you are automatically forced to grow, be it in the sporting area, personally or mentally. I was lucky that I had a young coach and mentor in Craig Fleming (now assistant coach to ex-Saints coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, editor) who was not just a central defender but knew what he was talking about. After all, he played over 500 games in his active career. He made sure that I sharpened my senses in many areas. He explained to me how to position myself correctly for a corner, how to properly approach a duel and in which situation I should choose which passing option.”
Klarer made his breakthrough with the German second division club Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he moved in 2020. Here he developed into one of the best central defenders in the 2nd Bundesliga. “The time in Düsseldorf was outstanding,” remembers Klarer. “I understood quite early on why Fortuna is one of the biggest clubs in Germany. I especially remember the floodlight games. I’m also really sorry that we haven’t managed to achieve promotion in all these years.”
Klarer played at Fortuna Düsseldorf from 2020 to 2023
The performances in Düsseldorf brought him to the attention of some Bundesliga clubs. In the end, he decided to move to Bundesliga promoted SV Darmstadt 98 for the 2023/24 season, where he became the most expensive new signing in the club’s history with a transfer fee of 2.3 million euros. Birmingham even paid more than 4 million euros this year, a record expenditure for a third division defender in England. “As a player, you never have any influence on what transfer fee is paid for you. Of course, a large sum can put you under pressure. Personally, I never felt any pressure in this context. I saw more of an appreciation for myself as a player.”
Klarer in Birmingham: Convinced of promotion
To the surprise of many, Klarer moved to England in the summer of this year, but not to a first or second division team, but to Birmingham City in League One. Although the Blues cannot be viewed as a normal third division team. After years of presence in the Championship, they suffered relegation to League One last season. In order to correct this slip-up as quickly as possible, the club launched a major transfer attack in the summer and made the three most expensive transfers in league history.
“We don’t have to kid ourselves. We are clearly the top favorites and finishing below 1st or 2nd place would be a big defeat and disappointment,” explains the Austrian. “But I am absolutely convinced that we will live up to our role as favorites and be at the top in the end.” Klarer’s focus is now on Christmas week: “I’m looking forward to the games against Crawley and Burton and hope that Santa Claus gets six points under our Christmas tree.”
Interview by Henrik Stadnischenko
