Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ana Ivanovic about their favorite music, common values - and what their perfect day looks like.
We know that they are a dream team at least since their glamorous vows: Soccer world champion Bastian Schweinsteiger, 37, and tennis star Ana Ivanovic, 34, celebrated their wedding in Venice in 2016. Even after six years of marriage and the birth of their two sons, sparks still fly between the two, whether on the red carpet at the Best Brand Awards in Munich or in an interview with GALA. A couple who meet as equals, with love and respect.
GALA: Together they have become a strong brand. Is it easier with two people?
Ana Ivanovic: It’s definitely more fun because we like working together. And somehow it’s easier too. I have someone next to me who I trust and with whom I can talk about everything. Unlike my career as a tennis player – I was alone on the court.
Bastian Schweinsteiger: Yes, it’s a lot more fun when we do something together.
Do you always agree when a company approaches you?
Ana: Mostly yes, because we have the same values. And it is important to us that our values and views are reflected in the brands.
Do you always agree in private?
Ana: “We are both individualists. Of course we sometimes have different opinions on certain things, but we complement each other perfectly.”
Bastian: It never really happens that we have big discussions – except on the tennis court. When I say, “The ball was out,” she says, “No, he was in.” And I have to give in, because of course she has more experience. (laughs)
Ana, you don’t have to play soccer with him, do you?
Ana: No, I can’t do that at all.
Bastian: Your legs are too beautiful for that.
Do you like dancing?
Ana: I would love to, but unfortunately I’m not very good at it.
Bastian: But we love music, especially 80s music, I’m a huge fan of that. And our kids love to dance.
Ana: By the way, also to music from the 80s.
How many languages do your children speak?
Ana: Four: German, Serbian, English and Spanish. Especially when they play together, they sometimes speak Spanish to each other. Then we sometimes don’t even know exactly what they’re saying. (laughs)
Bastian: And Ana’s German is getting better and better. If you speak slowly, she understands almost everything.
Ana: German is a very difficult language!
Bastian: But when you are with my parents, you also speak German.
Do you understand your in-laws, Ana?
Ana: Sometimes. If they speak Bavarian, it’s a bit difficult, but that’s okay.
Let’s talk about values. What makes a brand strong?
Ana: You have to be able to trust a brand. It must be managed sustainably and passionately and have the drive to create something big.
These values are also what a partnership is about, right?
Ana: Certainly! You have to be transparent. And share your views and expectations with your partner, trust each other. Otherwise you can quickly lose yourself. The quality for a long partnership must be given – privately and professionally. For example, I have been associated with Adidas since 2005 and Rolex since 2008.
Bastian: And after all, he’s been married to me since 2016. (laughs)
Will you only be available in a double pack in the future?
Bastian: No, we also do our own projects, separately from each other.
Ana: I’ve been working on my own brand for a while, it will be out later this year. I can already say this much: It’s about the beauty sector – natural, organic. I am very excited about it.
Have you already tried Ana’s products, Bastian?
Bastian: Sure, and I’m your best testimonial! (laughs)
Could you imagine sitting on the jury for a TV format like “The Lion’s Den”?
Ana: I guess that’s not mine. I find it difficult to criticize people. I know it from myself: You put so much hard work into it, but people only see the tip of the iceberg and they don’t see all the preparation beforehand.
Bastian: What day is the show on? Tuesday and Wednesday is bad, that’s the Champions League. And Monday we can’t, that’s our date night.
Is it always on Mondays?
Bastian: Well, that varies. But date nights are extremely important to a relationship. It can be a dinner with friends, or we recently had a date for two and went to the opera. That was great!
Ana: Yes, we enjoyed it. In Munich we went to the opera a couple of times, and when we lived in Manchester we often went to the theater in London.
Bastian: We even went to the Salzburg Festival last year.
Ana: That was beautiful!
Where is your heart place?
Ana: For me, home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling. And to be honest, for me it’s my family now. I have traveled so much I never had a real home. I was always on the road for most of the year, packed my suitcase again and again. For me, home is now really where I am with my family.
Do your children like to travel?
Ana: It was important to us from the first moment that they get used to traveling and sleeping in different places. But maybe that’s why they haven’t slept for four years. (laughs) No, they love to travel and are used to it.
Are your roles as parents at home clear?
Ana: Yes, Bastian is the funny one, I’m more the strict one. But now, when Bastian gives them something sweet, they tell me straight away because they know I wouldn’t let them.
What does the perfect day look like for both of you?
Bastian: “It’s perfect for me to have my family around me. I’m a happy person and try to go to bed smiling and wake up smiling.”
Ana: My perfect day is to spend it with the kids. They love going to the museum or the zoo. And when they’re in bed, we’ll both go to a nice restaurant together.
Bastian: If you want to know what my perfect day looks like from a sporting point of view: that I can finally win a set against you! I haven’t managed to do that yet.
Ana: The only thing he got after his last match against me was a heat pack for his back.
Bastian: How and how should the interview end now? (laughs)