Germany's U17 national side suffered a 4-1 defeat to France in the final of the European Championships in Bulgaria. Coach Christian Wück and his players, who were unbeaten in the five games going into the final, will begin their return trip home on Saturday with their heads held high. Before that the U17 coach took some time to talk with DFB editor Peter Scheffler.
DFB.de:Mr. Wück, how disappointed are you after losing the final?
Wück: First of all, I would like to congratulate France's U17 side and my coaching colleague Jean-Claude Giuntini on winning the European Championships. They deserved to win after playing a great tournament. Just look at their stats (most goals scored, fewest goals conceded). They were the better side against us. In terms of my disappointment, it still hurts a lot, but not as bad as last night.
DFB.de:What was the deciding factor in the final?
Wück: France had a higher individual quality than us. They won the important challenges on the wing and it allowed them to create better chances than us. At this level, small things can make a difference. The game showed us what we still need to work on. I hope that we will be able to close the gap until October.
DFB.de:When the World Cup starts in Chile (17th October – 8th November)...
Wück: Exactly. Qualifying for the World Cup was one of our goals and we are given the opportunity to challenge for another title in October. It's an important experience that the boys will work very hard for.
DFB.de:Were the players very upset after the defeat?
Germany's U17 national side suffered a 4-1 defeat to France in the final of the European Championships in Bulgaria. Coach Christian Wück and his players, who were unbeaten in the five games going into the final, will begin their return trip home on Saturday with their heads held high. Before that the U17 coach took some time to talk with DFB editor Peter Scheffler.
DFB.de:Mr. Wück, how disappointed are you after losing the final?
Wück: First of all, I would like to congratulate France's U17 side and my coaching colleague Jean-Claude Giuntini on winning the European Championships. They deserved to win after playing a great tournament. Just look at their stats (most goals scored, fewest goals conceded). They were the better side against us. In terms of my disappointment, it still hurts a lot, but not as bad as last night.
DFB.de:What was the deciding factor in the final?
Wück: France had a higher individual quality than us. They won the important challenges on the wing and it allowed them to create better chances than us. At this level, small things can make a difference. The game showed us what we still need to work on. I hope that we will be able to close the gap until October.
DFB.de:When the World Cup starts in Chile (17th October – 8th November)...
Wück: Exactly. Qualifying for the World Cup was one of our goals and we are given the opportunity to challenge for another title in October. It's an important experience that the boys will work very hard for.
DFB.de:Were the players very upset after the defeat?
Wück: Right after the final whistle, yes. But they also realised that France were simply too strong. The atmosphere had improved by dinner with the DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach and the players' parents.
DFB.de:What did the DFB President say to the players?
Wück: I would first like to thank the entire delegation, who came out to Bulgaria for the final, giving us great support. It shows how important youth development is to the DFB. As usual, Wolfgang Niersbach was able to find the right words when he addressed the players. He told them that they can be proud of what they accomplished. Qualifying for the World Cup was not a certainty and he was delighted with the teams' mentality, as they fought hard until the final minute.
DFB.de:Are you proud of the team as well?
WückVery much so. We played a great tournament and won all our games without conceding a goal until the final. We fully achieved what we set out to do. If someone had told me before the tournament that we would reach the final, I would have been very pleased. That's also why I think that the frustration of having lost will fade quite quickly over the next few days.
