Timo Hildebrand knows what he's talking about when it comes to grip: His hands and gloves are often the last resort in preventing the ball from slipping into the goal – in the national team as well as in his own club, VfB Stuttgart. In an exclusive interview, the Conti brand ambassador talks about what gives him a good foothold in life and about times when the carpet was pulled out from under him – or when he once went into a skid when driving.

QUESTION: Mr. Hildebrand, before a crucial free kick or penalty, goalies are often seen spitting into their glove. Does that actually make for better grip?

HILDEBRAND: Yes. This makes the adhesive foam more effective.

QUESTION: Do you have any other tricks for improving grip – your gloves' adhesive force – so as to prevent a well-aimed shot from getting through?

HILDEBRAND: Over the years, every goalkeeper finds a material that he likes, that appeals to him – in other words, a kind of individual foam mixture for his gloves. He just has to try out different things – in a large number of test phases. There aren't really any secret recipes, there's nothing special about any of this. Actually, I myself prefer used gloves that I've already worn once or twice and found to be good.

QUESTION: For 89 minutes nothing happens. Then the opponent's forward is suddenly racing towards you – and it is up to you, as goalie, to make sure that he doesn't score. Is being the last line of defense too stressful for you at times?

HILDEBRAND: No, I don't see that as stress but rather as a special challenge. That's just what makes a goalie's game so special and is the reason why I play this position.

QUESTION: Let us suppose for a minute that Jens Lehmann and Oliver end up out of action and the fate of the game bestows upon you the chance to play in the World Cup finals. It comes down to a penalty shootout. Against what player would you most like to hold off the crucial penalty kick?

HILDEBRAND: To be quite frank, I never lose any thought about that sort of thing.

QUESTION: How do you manage to completely concentrate in win-or-lose situations, blocking out everything else around you – the stadium, the fans, the players?

HILDEBRAND: I focus all my attention on the game, on what's happening at the moment. That requires mental concentration. You have to completely ignore everything else. Visually and acoustically. It's something you learn over time.

QUESTION: In the last few years your career has really taken off. Being so much in the public spotlight, how do you manage to maintain ground contact, so to speak?

HILDEBRAND: When you have such a fantastic family, friends that you can really count on and a setting that provides you support but also criticism, you can count yourself really fortunate. Then there is also my support staff, who perform in an absolutely professional manner and are a big help to me. Anyway, I don't need to be cosseted by luxury or surrounded by status symbols. And I live knowing that tomorrow everything could be over. Ground contact is the normal state. I am a pro athlete and have both my feet on the ground.

QUESTION: Were there moments in your career when you had to tell yourself "Now, just don't get carried away"? After being named to the national team, for instance? Or in 2003, in setting your legendary 884-minute record in fending off opponent goals?

HILDEBRAND: No. But there were times when I had to tell others: "Now just don't let this go to your head, people."

QUESTION: Can you remember times in your life when you seemed to feel the rug being pulled out from under you?

HILDEBRAND: Yes, my first parachute jumping experience – and during hang-gliding. Then I really felt myself dangling.

QUESTION: What gives you a good foothold in life?

HILDEBRAND: People who love me for who I am as a person.

QUESTION: You are a brand ambassador for Continental. Have you already had to change a tire yourself?

HILDEBRAND: Not yet, I've been lucky, I guess!

QUESTION: In your kind of job, you're always in the limelight. Have you ever been caught in a radar trap?

HILDEBRAND: The last time I was flashed is quite a ways back. I hope that doesn't change.

QUESTION: How would you describe your driving style?

HILDEBRAND: With my Smart I'm a very laid-back driver, more defensive, on the lookout for parking spots. Things can get a bit wilder in my Maserati on the freeway. But I never lose control and constantly keep in mind that other drivers may not necessarily react as I would.

QUESTION: What do you like most about driving?

HILDEBRAND: Listening to music, making good mileage, arriving, not getting caught in a traffic jam – and when things move along briskly – the kick I get from driving at a good clip.

QUESTION: Did you ever start to go into a skid on the road?

HILDEBRAND: Nearly. On a rain-slicked road. And I'm not kidding, I think that – there as well – my Conti tires kept me from ending up in a mess.

QUESTION: What do you do to get a bit of exercise privately? After all, in your job your radius of action is rather limited.

HILDEBRAND: Not at all! In practicing as goalkeeper and in the extra shifts, I have to move about an awful lot. And in my leisure time, in my private life, I tend to look for compensation more in other areas – cinema, theater, conversing and the like. What's more, I have a walk-up flat on the top floor. That means 108 steps up and 108 down, several times a day.