Nikola Katic: We’re at the World Cup on merit

Nikola, you and Bosnia and Herzegovina begin your World Cup campaign against hosts Canada on Friday (12/6, 21:00 CEST). How excited are you for it all to begin?
I honestly can’t put it into words. Playing at a World Cup one day is probably the biggest dream for every boy who kicks a ball for the first time. We’ve made that happen. It took a little while for it to sink in just what an achievement qualifying was, but I think we’ve got a really strong squad and a lot of quality. We’re going there to build on that success.

What went through your mind when you found out for certain that you would be part of Sergej Barbarez’s squad?
Not a lot, to be honest. I was just excited and knew I had to get myself ready. I’ve worked really hard over the past two months. My aim was to be in the best possible shape when we met up as a national team. I’m going to the World Cup as a player, not as a fan. It will be a special moment, so I wanted to be at my very best.

How important was it for you, also with a view to your World Cup form, to get back on the pitch for Schalke in the final game of the season?
Very, very important. Since my knee injury, I trained hard every day so that I could be involved again before the end of the season. The away game in Nürnberg came too soon for me, but the home game against Braunschweig meant a lot, especially because we were presented with the trophy that day. Getting those minutes was also really important for my fitness.

You already experienced a hugely emotional moment with Bosnia and Herzegovina back in March, beating Italy on penalties after 120 minutes in the play-offs to book your place at the World Cup. What impact could that moment have on you going into the tournament?
A massive one! It wasn’t just that we beat Italy, which was an incredible achievement. Before that, we had already shown our quality against Wales and in the qualifiers against teams like Austria and Romania. We proved that we’re at the World Cup on merit. Those games will definitely give us a big boost.

In Group B, you’ll face Switzerland and Qatar as well as Canada. What are your thoughts on your three opponents?
They’re all strong teams. When you’re at a World Cup, you’ve clearly earned the right to be there. Canada will be highly motivated as hosts and will want to perform in front of their own fans. With Switzerland, we know they have always had top players from Europe’s biggest leagues in their ranks and seem to qualify for every World Cup and European Championship. They’ve done well at those tournaments too. Qatar are also a very good side, so it won’t be easy. But as I said, we’ve got quality as well and we’re not heading to the tournament as underdogs.

Alongside your Schalke teammate Edin Džeko, Bosnia and Herzegovina also have several players based in Germany. Could that shared connection be an advantage for you?
It could be, but the bond within our squad goes beyond leagues or countries. I haven’t often been part of a group with the same kind of spirit we’ve had with the national team and at Schalke this season – even though I’ve played for several different clubs. That togetherness has been one of the main reasons behind the success of both teams.

What would count as a successful World Cup for you? How far do you think you can go?
We haven’t set ourselves a specific target. We just want to take it game by game and try to go as far as we can – then we’ll see where that takes us.

Getting out of the group and into the last 32 would be something special though…
It would certainly be a massive step for our country. After 2014, this is only our second World Cup appearance. But reaching the knockout rounds wouldn’t come as a shock to me either, because our team has plenty of quality and a good mix of experienced players and promising young talent.

With the World Cup almost here, and after your first season at Schalke, how do you look back on your move to S04 last summer?
It was a great step for me. That’s obviously easy to say now, because we achieved a lot together this season and ended up winning the title. Being able to go to the World Cup now rounds off the year for me – and Schalke have played a big part in that. I’m really enjoying life as a Schalke player.

At what point did you realise that working with Miron Muslic again could be such a success?
There was a moment during pre-season in Austria, after we’d played Panathinaikos (0-0) and were waiting for the bus after the game. I was sitting alone with Miron in the dressing room and he said to me: “We’re going to change things here.” I’ve never looked someone in the eye and felt that much determination. After that, I knew we could achieve something big.

At Schalke, you quickly won the fans over as a no-nonsense defender. Are you now ready to show the whole world some of your crunching tackles?
(laughs) Well, that’s my way of playing and what I can bring to the pitch. As always, I’ll give 120% in every game. Anything less and you can’t compete at a tournament like this.