They pulled off a surprise. Hoffenheim defeated Wolfsburg 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the German Cup. The last time Wolfsburg suffered a defeat in this competition was on November 16, 2013. Erëleta Memeti scored the decisive goal shortly after the start of the second half. In an interview for the official website of the German Football Association (DFB), the 25-year-old talks about the celebration after the goal, the party in the locker room and the dream of winning the title.
German Football Association (DFB): How was the mood after the game?
Erëleta Memeti: I can't even put it into words. It's strange that we eliminated Wolfsburg. They had an incredible series.
DFB: How did you feel when you scored the goal?
Memeti: It took me a moment to realize that the ball was really in the goal. But then the whole stadium cheered and I didn't know how to celebrate. And, above all, I didn't know what to do with my emotions. Then the girls came running towards me. It was just a wonderful feeling. But it was far from over. There were still 40 minutes left in the game. The bench and the fans supported us until the end. We were more motivated and played together both in attack and defense. Everything worked. Days like this don't come very often.
DFB: What happened after the match?
Memeti: After the match there was a party. We celebrated properly in the locker room, singing and dancing. It was just crazy! I've never experienced anything like this before.
DFB: How was your night, did you sleep?
Memeti: I was very sick, but I responded to a lot of messages that came to me on all the networks. That's why I slept late. Fortunately, there was no training today, otherwise it would have been difficult. But today I feel good. I recovered surprisingly quickly, especially since I was sick before the match. It could have also happened that I would have had to leave after only ten minutes, because I was not physically strong enough. However, I felt very good in the game. The adrenaline and the magic of the Cup gave me a boost.
DFB: Wolfsburg last lost a match in the Cup on November 16, 2013. What were you doing at that time?
Memeti: I played football with the boys at the Fichtenberg club just for recreation. I was 14 at the time and had only started playing football three years earlier. At that time, I probably didn't know that women could play professional football. I realized this later. For a long time I played just because I liked it. Later I received an invitation to join a club. I still remember exactly how the coach asked us why we were here. One player then replied that she wanted to make it to the national team. When I heard that, I looked at her and wondered what she was dreaming about and how I ended up here.
DFB: Then you made it to the national team – the Kosovo national team, where your parents come from.
Memeti: It was actually a dream come true for me. The Kosovo women's national team has only existed since 2016. When I got the invitation I felt very proud. It seemed exciting to build something there. We are still in the early stages of development there. But it is going in the right direction. I look forward to everything that is yet to come.
DFB: Let's look ahead: What do you want to do on the evening of May 1st?
Memeti: To hold the German Cup in my hand and celebrate.
DFB: Do you still dream of the title?
Memeti: Yes, definitely. This victory over Wolfsburg gives us a lot of strength for the next tasks. Now we want to go to win the final in Cologne and compete for the title. I have already watched the final as a spectator, but I would really like to experience it on the pitch one day.
DFB.de: The draw for the semi-finals will be made on Monday evening. Werder Bremen, Bayern and Hamburg are still in the competition. Which team do you prefer as your opponent?
Memeti: Of course, we need a little luck in the draw because we don't necessarily want to play against Bayern. A home game would be nice in principle. But whatever happens, we accept the challenge. Finally, we managed to eliminate Wolfsburg from the competition.
DFB: Wolfsburg had won all 52 of their last DFB Cup matches. Was this the biggest day of your career?
Memeti: Anyway. It was an indescribable day. I won't forget this experience anytime soon. It still takes me a while to understand what happened. We have achieved something historic.
DFB: Back to normal on Sunday. In the Women's Bundesliga, the match against Bayer Leverkusen is on the schedule. How difficult will it be for you to concentrate after what you experienced?
Memeti: It won't be difficult at all. We are professional enough to give 100 percent again. We want to get three points against Leverkusen. We want to win every game. Everything is open.
