This week, Anthony Jung has been going on a little journey. Before the game against Bayern on Tuesday evening, Jung enjoyed a long chat with his former team-mate Joshua Kimmich, and in the stands was Hany Mukhtar, with whom he discussed the game on video call after the final whistle. The crowning moment will be the clash against former side RB Leipzig – a team that has had a lasting impact on Jung’s career.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Anthony Jung und Joshua Kimmich in der Allianz-Arena.](https://werdercdn.azureedge.net/fileadmin/_processed_/7/1/csm_10112022_JungKimmich_be926c644a.jpg)
Kimmich and Jung played together for two seasons in Leipzig, jointly experiencing promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. The left-back, who came up through Eintracht Frankfurt’s academy, had almost ended up at MSV Duisburg, but the ‘Zebras’ had their playing license revoked, invalidating Jung’s contract. Leipzig then snapped up the services of the 21-year-old, going on to play a key role in forming his future: “For me as an athlete, that was my big opportunity to prove myself,” recalled Jung. “That was a huge leap forward for me.”
An important moment then was a meeting with his then-coach Alexander Zorniger, who coached Jung in Leipzig, and lured him to Brøndby IF after a mixed year in Ingolstadt. There, alongwith Zorniger and Hany Mukhtar, who had just been named MVP in Major League Soccer, the defender won the Danish Cup, Brøndby's first title after a ten-year spell without silverware. "In Alex Zorniger, I had a coach who had blind faith in me," said Jung of his move to the Danish Superliga. "The time gave me a lot because I played most matches over the four years - all in all, it was a very nice time period."
The upcoming birth of his son Levin drew Jung back to Germany in 2021, this time as a Danish champion. A brief stint at Ingolstadt saw him make just 16 appearances, some of them off the bench. Five years on, he occupies Werder’s left-back spot, a key player for the side following their promotion back to the top division. “We knew just how strong the 2. Bundesliga is and we always dreamt of promotion, something also part of my thinking process,” Jung revealed. “I’m very happy that the chance to play in the Bundesliga has reappeared once more, but on the other hand it is the reward for the work that I have put in.”
After Jung had to take a short break due to an illness, he showed that he was back to full strength with his goal against Bayern München. The Spain-born defender has played alongside the Leipzig quintet Willi Orban, Emil Forsberg, Lukas Klostermann, Peter Gulacsi and Yussuf Poulsen, meaning he’s very familiar with the opponent. “Gegenpressing is in the opponent’s DNA, they won’t be giving us much time on the ball. But we have to focus on ourselves and deliver the best performance we can – and the support of the fans will definitely help us out there.” That’s how this week can be topped off with a home win.
