Like a dream to Jana Krause 

Last season, Jana Krause (20) was goalkeeper number three in Nürnberg. She didn’t know whether she should stay with the German champions or not. But after Silvia Harlander ended her career, the blond, tall Bavarian girl from Munich shares the position between the posts with Marianna Gubova. Since then everything is like a dream for her, as she said in an exclusive interview to Eurohandball.com. Despite all expectations, Nürnberg are the first German women’s team ever with a chance to reach next round in the CL (since it is played in a group system). With Jana Krause, Nürnberg are also number two in the Bundesliga.

Eurohandball.com: If someone told you after the Champions League draw that Nürnberg would have five points after four matches, what would you have told him?

Krause: That he is totally crazy and doesn’t know anything about handball. Some “experts” in Germany even said that we do not have a chance to stay in the Bundesliga because we lost so many players. Now we are second in the Bundesliga, nearly through to the play-offs and we have five points in the Champions League: this is like a dream.

Eurohandball.com: What’s the secret of Nürnberg’s success and yours?

Krause: We are a real team. Look, as these “experts” said that we cannot play high level, this was a good motivation for us. And as a team we get stronger and stronger. We only have eight or nine players and normally we are exhausted after every match, but we fight and fight. This is great. And this success is totally crazy – we did not have a chance, but we made it.

Eurohandball.com: Do you think your team have enough strength to reach the second group phase?

Krause: I hope so. We have five points, but we should have seven as the defeat in Sävehof was our own fault. We could have had won there, but we started playing too late. So we have to win the second leg in Nürnberg against Sävehof on the last match day, and then we are through. I don’t think that we have a chance to get a point or a victory in Russia against Zvezda.

Eurohandball.com: So did you know that Nürnberg are already the most successful German women’s team ever in the Champions League?

Krause: Really? This cannot be real… No, I didn’t know this before, but this makes me feel even prouder.

Eurohandball.com: After Silvia Harlander left Nürnberg you have plenty of playing time – are you satisfied with your new role in the team?

Krause: Yes, I like it very much. It’s good to share the job with Marianna and it is a lot of fun to help the team.

Eurohandball.com: After playing more you also get a new role in the national team right before the World Championship in France. Were you surprised about this invitation to the last test matches last weekend?

Krause: Yes, as I heard this I was very surprised. I did not expect to be the number three in Germany. But now I want to be a part of the team that will play in France and I hope to win a medal there. And I know my role in case the national coach nominates me: Sabine Englert and Clara Woltering are number one and two. They will play most of the time, I’m number three and it would be important for me to learn if I would go to France. This is also a dream to me – and the biggest ever dream would be to qualify for the Olympic Gamess in Beijing. A whole year full of dreams…