If a player wears the jersey of his club for 25 consecutive years, collecting 199 appearances in official matches, 52 clean sheets and 2 votes as Man of the Match, he can only become a legend for that team. Our friend and passionate reader Lorenzo Bigo had the honour and the pleasure to have an interview with John Kreutzmann, former goalkeeper of B-67 Nuuk, the most successful team in Greenland. His impressive statistics (also embellished with 14 goals scored between 2003 and 2008, when he was employed as a midfield player), have guaranteed him by right access to the Hall of Fame of his club and Greenlandic football. Finally, on 25 April 2021 John Kreutzmann won the Greenlandic futsal championship with the oldboys team of B-67 scoring four goals.

John Kreutzmann after the winning of the 2008 championship (photo courtesy of John Kreutzmann).

• First, good morning John and thank you for this interview, how are you?
• Hi Lorenzo, despite the restrictions following the Coronavirus epidemic, I’m fine, thank you.

• What is your job in everyday life apart from being the goalkeeper of the B-67 for many years?
• I work in the municipal office in Nuuk city hall. I deal with finance.

• Can you summarize your career in the B-67?
• I started playing in the B-67 when I was 6 years old. In 1991 I made my debut in the first team and we finished the championship in fourth place. Until 2013 I was the club’s starting goalkeeper but in 2003, 2005 and 2007-2008 I was an outfield player in the role of midfield winger. I retired in 2015 from the first team. In total I won 11 championships with the B-67.

• Did you pursue a career as a manager once retired? Did you still stay in the B-67 or did you have experience in other teams as well?
• Maybe in a few years I would like to start a coaching career. I have always remained attached to the colours of the B-67 Nuuk.

• Who in your opinion were the best teammates you found yourself playing with in the B-67? And who was the strongest opponent you faced?
• My strongest teammates in B-67 were certainly Jan Nielsen, Thomas Janussen, Jens Christian Eldevig, Aqqa-Pavia Rosing and Harry Enggaard: for many years we were the most experienced players in the club, we were an almost unbeatable team. As for the opponents, I remember I had been very impressed by an Israeli selection we played against in a friendly match during a tour in Iceland years ago: they had players with excellent qualities.

• Nowadays you’re part of the B-67 oldboys squad. Do you still play in goal?
• No, I play as an outfield player. When I played as a midfielder, I won the championship twice, in 2005 and 2008. I have been a goalkeeper for many years, now I also enjoy playing in the middle of the field.

• After your retirement, Lôk’e Svane, another highly experienced player, became the owner goalkeeper of the B-67. Can you give us an opinion on him and the young goalkeepers that the B-67 has in the squad today?
• Lôk’e Svane is a very athletic goalkeeper, gifted with great agility and in the years in which he played with the B-67 he has improved more and more. I think it was essential for the two of us to have a very good goalkeeper coach. Now Lôk’e is the goalkeeper coach of the first team and is doing a great job. * s for the younger ones in our role, I think Malik Hermarij has good skills. He will certainly become a good goalkeeper and will improve more and more over time.

• John, you were also the goalkeeper of the Greenland national team for many years. What is your best memory?
• Wearing the captain’s armband in 2003 and defeating the Isle of Wight selection at the Island Games the same year: we won 2-1.

• How do you see football in Greenland in the near future?
• That’s a good question. In my opinion it all depends on the mental, physical, and technical preparation of our players. If they improve in these three respects, Greenland can do well. But also, the passion and the ambition for victories must not be lacking. Greenland will certainly make progress in football.

• Do you have a greeting for the readers in Italy and for the Italian fans of the B-67?
• I like the Italian Serie A and I know that in Italy there are many supporters of the B-67: I greet them affectionately; the Italians are the warmest and friendliest people I have ever met.

We want to thank John Kreutzmann for his infinite kindness and friendship, but also Lorenzo Bigo for allowing us to share this interview. For those interested in learning more about the future of Greenlandic football, we invite you to read our interview with Finn Meinel, vice-president of the local football association.