FC Bayern Women – Tuva Hansen in interview about emotional moment: “Had the feeling it was all my fault”

If you look up the term ‘Swiss army knife’ in the dictionary, you might find a picture of Tuva Hansen. Hansen, who joined the FC Bayern Women in January 2023, is increasingly proving to be an all-purpose weapon in defence.

The Norwegian international has already been deployed at left-back, right-back and centre-back this season. But what are the differences between the individual positions and where does she prefer to play?

That’s a question Hansen hears a lot and was also asked by her mum shortly before the interview. She answers it for Miasanrot.

Disclaimer: The interview took place before the match against FC Arsenal.

Tuva Hansen from FC Bayern Women: Impressed with her own team

Miasanrot: Tuva Hansen, with the 1-0 win against Cologne, FC Bayern have now been unbeaten in 44 consecutive Bundesliga games. You yourself hadn’t lost a single Bundesliga game since joining the club. Did you imagine the Bundesliga would be so easy?

Tuva Hansen: (Laughs). It’s definitely not easy, no. It’s very different to Norway. In the German league, the football is much more physical and faster, everything is at a higher level. Even the teams that are in mid-table are good. And they use different strategies and tactics to upset the top teams. So it’s a big challenge week in, week out to keep this streak going. I’m really impressed with the team, how we’ve managed to go 44 games unbeaten. That’s a lot of games.

So the unbeaten streak doesn’t get boring?

Never.

FC Bayern not only wants to be successful in the Bundesliga, but also in the Cup and the Champions League. How do you see the chances in this year’s group with Juventus, FC Arsenal and Vålerenga?

I think they will all be exciting games. We’ve got another difficult group, but that’s the way it is in the group stage. There are only good teams in the Champions League. I was really happy that we drew a Norwegian team. And as for Arsenal and Juventus: it’s so much fun to play against big-name teams and compete with them. Our goal is clearly to make it through.

Which player at Vålerenga does Bayern need to watch out for the most?

They have a lot of good players. I just hope that we show our best side and that our level is visible on the pitch. Then we should be able to control the game.

Are you already looking forward to showing your team-mates your country?

Yes, of course. I’m not from Oslo, but I really enjoy being there. We’re always in Oslo with the national team. So I know a lot of places that I can show them if time permits.

Hansen: FC Bayern must ‘now learn from our mistakes’

FC Bayern have been a little out of step recently and have struggled to win in the Bundesliga. In the Champions League, you face teams who also want the ball, who also play attacking football. Could that work in your favour?

I think that that style of play could suit us. When we play against more attack-minded teams, we usually have more space because our opponents don’t just sit deep and wait to see what we do with the ball. It’s good that we were able to win this game against Cologne in the end so that we can go into the important games against Arsenal, Wolfsburg and Torino with a good feeling. We now have to learn from the mistakes of the last few league games and simply keep working on ourselves.

What specific mistakes are you talking about? What can be improved?

I’m thinking of individual things. We lost a lot of balls against Cologne and didn’t have good control of the game. If you look at the statistics, we had over 70 per cent possession, but a lot of it was in our half of the pitch. So we didn’t dominate the game as much as we would have liked.

The last Champions League season ended early after the group stage. Back then, Bayern also had very strong opponents in Rome, Ajax and PSG. Are you afraid of history repeating itself?

No. I think we’ve learnt from last year and have also grown as a team. I hope you can also see that on the pitch.

Tuva Hansen on setbacks: ‘Life is about more than football’

Episode 4 of the FC Bayern documentary ‘More than 90 minutes’ also focuses on the match against Paris St. Germain, where you were partly to blame for the first goal conceded. You react very emotionally in the documentary when you are asked about the scene. How close do defeats and setbacks get to you?

That’s difficult to say. I think when you’re used to winning a lot of games, you sometimes forget how it feels to lose. And it’s especially hard when you feel like you’re personally to blame for the defeat. And beyond that, the Champions League is of course something very special. But emotional moments like the one against Paris are simply part of the game. That’s also why I play football, because I love to win. And I hate losing. As a player, you just have to be able to deal with it. And yes, it was very difficult at that moment. But it’s easier to get through that situation if you have good people around you. And I really have that here.

It was remarkable how your team-mates immediately cheered you up and encouraged you after the PSG game. In the long run, are moments like that perhaps sometimes more important than a win?

It’s very, very important. And if you look at episode 4 of the documentary and the situation, you can see that it’s about more than football. Football is just one part of us. When you have these great people around you, people who support you no matter what, and when you experience situations like that, it shows you that life is about more than just football. You realise that the team really cares. And that was the point where I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself. Because at that moment when I conceded the goal, I felt like I didn’t deserve to be part of the team. And I felt like it was all my fault. But then I had people around me telling you that you shouldn’t think like that. That’s great.

Let’s talk about your personal situation. How difficult was it for you to move from Norway to Germany back then?

To be honest, it was a very easy step for me. I came here and immediately felt at home. I played a lot of games right from the start and we travelled a lot. Because there was so much going on, I didn’t feel like I had really arrived in Germany until three months later. It was pretty overwhelming at the beginning because I wasn’t used to this pace in training and the intensity, the work with the media and the overall professionalism. It’s a lot to deal with at the beginning. But the people around me made the start much easier for me. I felt at home relatively quickly. That’s not really normal. I think this team is also special in that respect. I think it’s something special with this team and the staff and everyone who supports you and wants to get the best out of you. At the level we play at, it’s not a given that you have a team that is so supportive of each other and welcomes you with open arms. That’s very rare.

Tuva Hansen: Moving to FC Bayern was a ‘no-brainer’

Many players from Scandinavia play for FC Bayern. Does that make it easier to get started in a new country or can Norway not be compared with Iceland, Sweden or Denmark?

Yes, they can be compared. We Scandinavians have the same values and attitude to how we behave towards others. We know that the group is important in order to perform really well. I think we are basically polite people, and sometimes we might even be too nice (laughs).

You’ve already worked with Alexander Straus at SK Brann Bergen and in the Norwegian junior national team. What is your relationship with him and what role did he play in your transfer back then? Would you have moved to Bayern if Straus hadn’t been the coach?

To be honest, for a long time I didn’t think that Germany could be an option for me, because I love Norway and I love being at home. But I’ve always waited for the right time to take the step abroad. And of course Alexander also played a role in my transfer, because I trust him a lot.

Did you have any doubts when the transfer was being discussed?

No, it was a no-brainer. I thought it was something I couldn’t say no to at all. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. And I don’t regret it for a single second.

FC Bayern’s all-purpose weapon: For Hansen, the position ‘doesn’t play a big role’

Since moving to Munich, you have already been deployed at left-back, right-back and centre-back. What is your favourite position?

That’s funny, my mum asked me the same question yesterday. I can’t answer that question because they’re completely different roles. And I love all three of them. To be honest, I don’t care which position I play because I always do my best and try to be good at it. But of course I enjoy playing as an attacking full-back. But I also like the more defensive aspect of being a centre-back. The position really doesn’t play a big role for me.

On the one hand, it’s a quality of yours that you can play so many positions and therefore get a lot of playing time. On the other hand, it’s always good to have a fixed role and to be a specialist in one position. How do you feel about this conflict?

I’ve been doing this since I was 15 or 16 years old. I played one season as a right-back in my youth, then one as a left-back and then as a centre-back. And now I’ve got used to it. The coach can use me wherever the team needs me. I just want the best for the team, to be honest.

You are the smallest player in the Bayern squad who can be deployed in central defence. To what extent do you have to adapt your game in this position?

I hear this question a lot! I try to compensate for my height with my other strengths such as speed or positional play. And if you look at my games in central defence, even if I don’t win the duels, I go into the duel and make sure that my opponents can’t win the duel either by throwing them off balance. And then I’m the first to pick up the ball afterwards. Of course, I have to have and develop strategies. In the penalty area, I have to use my strength, my explosiveness in aerial duels, to compensate for my size. You can also win duels in other ways if you’re clever (laughs).

The idea of build-up play at FC Bayern is very much focused on the centre and the half-spaces. How does your role as a full-back differ from that of a centre-back when you have the ball in build-up play?

I really enjoy playing in the centre because you’re on the ball a lot. Most of the teams we play against close down the centre and offer us space on the wing that we would like to have in the centre. We need solutions for that and we’re also getting better at utilising the space they offer us.

Speaking of wings. You’ve scored four goals and provided seven assists in 33 games at Brann Bergen, but you’re still without a goal at FC Bayern and have only managed to set up two goals. Tuva, will we see your first goal for FC Bayern against Wolfsburg?

(Laughs). That’s a good question… If it happened, it would be very, very cool.

Your coach Alexander Straus also says that you can still improve your attacking play. Where do you still see potential yourself?

I think offence is where I can improve the most. In defence, I feel that I already have a lot of control, but I can always improve, for example in aerial duels. You never stop learning. You just have to keep developing and keep going. And that’s what I’m doing here. I’m making progress step by step. And compared to my performance a year and a half ago, I’ve developed a lot. I’m happy to be here.

Tuva, exciting weeks lie ahead for FC Bayern: the first Champions League games, the Bundesliga game against Wolfsburg, the cup game against Freiburg. These English weeks are physically and mentally exhausting. How can you switch off after such highlight games?

The only thing we do after the games: Rest, eat, sleep, do the right things. Basically, you live in a bubble. And then you have to choose the things that re-energise you and don’t drain your energy. It’s also important for my head to only ever focus on the next game. I can’t think about the national team right now, not a chance. I think about the next game and when that’s over, I think about the next game. Step by step. That’s also something Alexander Straus has implemented in my head. It’s like brainwashing (laughs): That I only ever think about the next game. Sometimes I’m asked about the national team and asked: ‘Who are you playing against then?’ And I have no idea, because I’m not focussing on that at all. I’m playing the next game, that’s my only goal. This attitude is good for me, it allows me to breathe in between.

Some of your team-mates are studying or have a start-up. What do you do off the pitch?

I have a dog. And yes, I love going for long walks with him. And that’s exactly what I did after the game against Paris St Germain. The day after, I went for a walk in the sun for two or three hours and just thought about nothing. I was just in touch with nature.

You work as a social media content creator for your dog from time to time. Your Instagram account is doing pretty well.

Yes, but I’m not that active anymore because I’m focussing more on my own career at the moment. And I honestly don’t have time to spend hours editing a video and then posting it. If I had a lot more time, I might start doing it again. But at the moment, I’d rather go for an hour and a half walk with her than spend time on my couch editing a video.

FC Bayern women ahead of top match: ‘You should never underestimate Wolfsburg’

That makes sense. Let’s talk about Wolfsburg: The VfL seem to be somewhat inconsistent this season. Do you still see Wolfsburg as your biggest rivals for the championship or is it now Eintracht Frankfurt?

I think it will be difficult against both teams. And you should never underestimate Wolfsburg. Because every time we play against them, it’s a completely different game. We can lose 5-0 to them in the cup and then win 4-0 against them in the league. It will be a tough challenge.

Let’s talk a bit more about women’s football in your home country of Norway. What do you think is the biggest difference between the Norwegian and German leagues?

The infrastructure is the biggest difference. In Germany, there are so many individuals working for you with the aim of optimising your performance. Of course, you try to do the same in Norway, but there’s less money going around and so the size of the staffs is smaller. When I was still playing in Norway, we had one physiotherapist in our team. Here in Munich there are sometimes three or four. At Bayern we also have doctors and other helpers, a big team that makes you the best version of yourself. As for the work on the pitch: I also worked with Alexander at Brann Bergen. What we do in training, his ideas are the same. But the level of the team is completely different.

Tuva, you come from a football-loving family, your father was a professional footballer and so were your siblings. How many windows have you broken at home?

(Laughs). Not that many windows. But when we play outside in the garden, some things get broken. But that’s just the winning mentality in our family. I don’t know if it’s healthy, but it’s a lot of fun.

Hansen on her defence strategy: No to sliding tackles!

Your father also played as a defender, but your sister and brother are strikers. Do you play defence against forwards at home?

We actually still do that every year at Christmas. Together as a family with other relatives, we form teams and then we play. Sometimes just us as a family, sometimes against friends and acquaintances.

And why do you prefer sliding tackles to scoring goals?

I never do a sliding tackle. Have you seen me play? I defend, but I never usually do a sliding tackle. I think you’ve done something wrong beforehand if you have to tackle, because then you’re too late. So if you don’t have a reason to have to tackle, then you’re in the right position.

Okay, let me ask you another way: why do you prefer defending to scoring goals? Is it perhaps because of your father? Was he your role model?

As you’ve already mentioned: My siblings, my brother and sister, were strikers, both of them. And maybe my father thought that the last ‘project’ should be a defender (laughs). No, I don’t know. But my father was a right-back, so maybe that had an influence on me. But don’t we all start out as forwards and then gradually get pushed back? My coaches have seen that I have qualities in defence. And my speed also plays a big part in that, it helps me in my game.

You were born in Bryne, where Erling Haaland also grew up. Which of you will be the first to celebrate a title with the national team?

That’s a good question. Let’s wait and see. The men’s national team has good players, but we also have good female players in the national team.

You have a great opportunity to prove your quality over the next few weeks. The Norwegian Women are playing in the play-offs for the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland. The first game will be against Albania and then, if you progress, against the winner of Croatia v Northern Ireland. The draw could have been worse for you, couldn’t it?

Yes, we should manage to qualify for the European Championship. Otherwise, to be honest, we’d have no business being there.

So let’s take a look ahead to the summer of 2025: would you rather win the Champions League with FC Bayern as a left-back or become European champion with Norway as a right-back?

Oh my God, that’s the worst either/or question I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Winning the Champions League would be fantastic. But the European Championship would be just as fantastic. You know what? I’ll take both.