Preparation is gathering pace ahead of the Germany’s quarterfinal against Italy in Bordeaux on Saturday (21:00 CEST). Mario Gomez, Mats Hummels and goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke spoke about the upcoming game in a press conference at the team’s tournament headquarters in Évian. DFB.de brings you all the important quotes.
Andreas Köpke on:
…the camp in Évian: It’s important that the lads can take a step back from football and do something different. They keep themselves occupied on their days off and have lots of fun. It’s something that’s important during long tournaments such as this. We trained intensely for an hour and a half but Jonas Hector couldn’t take part as he has been under the weather. We don’t think that it is anything too bad at the moment though. We have already played against the Italians so there shouldn’t be many surprises. The teams know each other very well.
…comparing Neuer and Buffon: They are both top goalkeepers, the two best at the tournament. They command their defence and are two important figures both on and off the pitch for their teams. I have to take my hat off to Gigi Buffon for the calmness he gives off and how important he is to his team. Manuel Neuer interprets the game differently so it is hard to compare the two. I don’t really believe in ranking players.
…working with Manuel Neuer: Manuel always wants to improve his game. There are always small things that you can improve. He is very self-critical at the end of a match.
…a possible penalty shootout: We will be fully prepared in case of a possible penalty shootout. We have information on the players who could take penalties for them. However, we haven’t had a shootout since 2006 and would be happy if it continues to not be necessary.
…Germany’s penalty takers: There isn’t much to hide. There are already two or three players who would definitely step-up but they will decide it between themselves during the game. I don’t believe that the penalty takers have to be kept a secret. It’s always mixed up during a penalty shootout anyway.
…Germany’s poor run against Italy: We definitely have a score to settle. We have enough players here who were there at EURO 2012, so we know what to expect and what is possible. We will have be at our best but we will be ready to rewrite history.
…the celebration of the 1996 golden goal: It’s a story that gives us a lot of pleasure but also something that will always unite us. It made us European Champions. I don’t know if Oli (Team coordinator Oliver Bierhoff, who scored the goal 20 years ago against the Czech Republic) will show his face on the day – he will probably keep a low profile.
Preparation is gathering pace ahead of the Germany’s quarterfinal against Italy in Bordeaux on Saturday (21:00 CEST). Mario Gomez, Mats Hummels and goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke spoke about the upcoming game in a press conference at the team’s tournament headquarters in Évian. DFB.de brings you all the important quotes.
Andreas Köpke on:
…the camp in Évian: It’s important that the lads can take a step back from football and do something different. They keep themselves occupied on their days off and have lots of fun. It’s something that’s important during long tournaments such as this. We trained intensely for an hour and a half but Jonas Hector couldn’t take part as he has been under the weather. We don’t think that it is anything too bad at the moment though. We have already played against the Italians so there shouldn’t be many surprises. The teams know each other very well.
…comparing Neuer and Buffon: They are both top goalkeepers, the two best at the tournament. They command their defence and are two important figures both on and off the pitch for their teams. I have to take my hat off to Gigi Buffon for the calmness he gives off and how important he is to his team. Manuel Neuer interprets the game differently so it is hard to compare the two. I don’t really believe in ranking players.
…working with Manuel Neuer: Manuel always wants to improve his game. There are always small things that you can improve. He is very self-critical at the end of a match.
…a possible penalty shootout: We will be fully prepared in case of a possible penalty shootout. We have information on the players who could take penalties for them. However, we haven’t had a shootout since 2006 and would be happy if it continues to not be necessary.
…Germany’s penalty takers: There isn’t much to hide. There are already two or three players who would definitely step-up but they will decide it between themselves during the game. I don’t believe that the penalty takers have to be kept a secret. It’s always mixed up during a penalty shootout anyway.
…Germany’s poor run against Italy: We definitely have a score to settle. We have enough players here who were there at EURO 2012, so we know what to expect and what is possible. We will have be at our best but we will be ready to rewrite history.
…the celebration of the 1996 golden goal: It’s a story that gives us a lot of pleasure but also something that will always unite us. It made us European Champions. I don’t know if Oli (Team coordinator Oliver Bierhoff, who scored the goal 20 years ago against the Czech Republic) will show his face on the day – he will probably keep a low profile.
###more###
Mats Hummels on…
…taking risks: I shouldn’t take too many risks. I really have to weigh it up as a defender. If I have assessed it properly then I can take risks. Earlier in my career I used to take more of them but today I am a bit more cautious.
…working with Boateng and Neuer: One reason for it is their individual quality but it’s important that the whole team is stable defensively. We have done a decent job up until now, that is why the defence is looking strong. It’s not a case of being able to do what you want, it wouldn’t look so good then.
…comparisons to Italy’s defence: You can see it as a compliment. I don’t know, whether it is possible to compare as they implement the Catenaccio playing style, which doesn’t work for us because we like to press early and try to keep our opponents away from the goal. I believe that we are on the right track to win the tournament.
…Germany’s poor record against Italy in tournaments: I have played against Italy once in a competition, namely at EURO 2012. The past doesn’t have any meaning now though. We have had a good record against them in the friendlies since then. We have shown in the recent past that we are working at a good standard. The Italians are a tournament team like us and will be difficult to beat.
…lessons from EURO 2012: We learnt that you shouldn’t go behind against Italy. They are good when they go ahead because of their flexible defensive structure. It would be great to take the lead and try to improve our record against them.
Mario Gomez on…
…the quarterfinal against Italy: It will be an intense game for both teams but I am confident that we will come out on top.
…the decisive factors against Italy: I don’t believe that physical fitness will be decisive as the Italians will stand their ground. It will be a very unpleasant match. We are watching the Italians, but they are also watching us.
…getting through the Italian defence: Their defence is obviously very strong. It’s always an advantage when players come from the same team, as is the case with the Italian defence, who all come from Juventus. FC Bayern showed in the Champions League that you can score goals against them.
###more###
