Two days before the first World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Thursday, Germany players Manuel Neuer, Florian Neuhaus and Amin Younes spoke at a press conference at the DFB headquarters in Düsseldorf. They discussed the upcoming games and their European dream.
Neuer on...
…the upcoming international games: We all have to push ourselves, and that includes the players and staff. We are looking forward to the next three games and the Euros this year. We have plenty to look forward to and want to do our jobs as successfully as possible. We are all really excited.
...the departure of Joachim Löw: We all have ambitious goals and want to cap off his era of success. I think that he has earned the right to go out on a high. It’s noticeable how motivated and ambitious he is. He wants to succeed regardless, he is really enthusiastic. The end to his time as coach is important to him and that’s a good sign for our upcoming games over the next few days and next summer. I’ve been here since 2009. Soon I’ll be 35 years old and I have gone through plenty of ups and downs with him.
...the current situation: We had a quick team meeting and are focused on these three games which are really important for helping us gel ahead of the Euros. It will be important to take advantage of every training session and every game. We can’t allow any more mistakes. We want to start with a positive mindset heading into the Euros. We are in a strong group with strong opponents so every game is a final. We will be tested right from the start.
...how the Euros will look: Right now it’s hard to say how the Euros will turn out. Time will tell how everything develops and how things look in society in general. We all hope for a positive change, both for us as people and also for society. We’ll just have to wait and see.
...Ilkay Gündogan: Ilkay is in superb form, we’ve seen that over the last few months. He has lots of experience and is an established part of the national team. The players at the heart of the team are important, they coach the team on and help us to stay compact on the pitch. The centre always has to be well-stocked. Those players decide what happens on the pitch and Ilkay is a huge, important part of the team.
…preparations for the Euros: it will be important to take advantage of every training session on every game, so that it helps us this summer. We need positive results and good experiences as a team. We have it within us, I see plenty of good things in the side.
...a potential successor to Jogi Löw: The Germany coach has to have experience, and he has to have achieved one or two things in German football. He has to know the Bundesliga and the national team players. For us players, it’s about the here and now and not thinking about that.
...his own career: I do my thing regardless of my fitness or how I am doing on the pitch. Saying goodbye to Jogi Löw won’t affect that. I need to feel wanted by the team. That is also really important to me.
Neuhaus on...
...the year ahead: There’s plenty ahead of us and all qualification matches are important for us. For me personally, the last year was really special since I made my debut for the national team. I know the value of being here. In training and in matches I just want to get my chance and then we’ll see how things look in summer.
...saying goodbye to coaches: I think the situation in Mönchengladbach was different. The rumours had been going on longer, it was no big secret anymore. But this is professional football and the team has put it out of our minds. We’ve obviously spoken about it in the dressing room and digest the information. The coach has the right to use his exit clause and the Germany boss has made his exit known early. It doesn’t change anything and we still want to be successful on the pitch.
...the competition in midfield: Germany is a top footballing nation. We can count ourselves lucky to have so many good players. The new arrivals are full of excitement; it’s obviously an extraordinary thing to be here at the age of just 17 or 18. Everyone wants to bring their A-game and show their qualities. Competition is important to keep everyone motivated at all times.
...his expectations: I want to show my best. I managed to do that well last year and I want to keep doing so. I’ve played three international games now and will be really happy to play one or two more. It’s a special feeling to score for Germany. I see myself as a central midfielder who can open up play, get in the box and be a goal threat. I think that’s what the boss wants to see from me.
Younes on…
…his return to the national team: I didn’t expect it to work out so quickly. I wasn’t sure where I stood when I came to Frankfurt. I’m very happy to have been invited back again and to have the chance to train and play with Germany's best players. The most important thing for me is that the performance is right and things are really clicking in that regard at the moment in Frankfurt.
…his footballing strengths: I’m someone who is always looking to learn new things in all areas of my game so that I can improve and become a better player. I’m good at taking players on of course, but I also work very hard off the ball and fight hard for the team, which is just as important. The whole team has to defend in the modern game when you don’t have possession. I’m always trying my hardest to further improve the things that I’m good at. I grew up playing on the streets as well as the football pitch and you have to really assert yourself there. You learn how to beat players in different ways and pick up different skills. You need a wide variety of strengths in professional football, so it’s very important to be a complete player.
…his Euros dream: It’s a huge dream of mine. When you’re called up to the national team, you want to make sure you stay in the squad and show everyone why you’re here. It’s very important that we as a team can achieve the maximum possible amount together. Naturally I want to play a role in making sure that we are successful in our next three matches. There are some players who have not been called up who have a lot of quality, so there’s always a lot of competition for places. That’s definitely a good thing and I’m delighted that I have the opportunity to show what I can do and make a positive impression with the national team.
…the 2017 Confederations Cup: We were a very close-knit bunch and had so much quality in the team, but most importantly we worked well as a team. There were a lot of new players there and the fact that we were able to win without much preparation beforehand really shows the quality of player that Germany has. I hope that we’ll be able to win more titles again, just like we did then.
created by mmc/lb
Two days before the first World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Thursday, Germany players Manuel Neuer, Florian Neuhaus and Amin Younes spoke at a press conference at the DFB headquarters in Düsseldorf. They discussed the upcoming games and their European dream.
Neuer on...
…the upcoming international games: We all have to push ourselves, and that includes the players and staff. We are looking forward to the next three games and the Euros this year. We have plenty to look forward to and want to do our jobs as successfully as possible. We are all really excited.
...the departure of Joachim Löw: We all have ambitious goals and want to cap off his era of success. I think that he has earned the right to go out on a high. It’s noticeable how motivated and ambitious he is. He wants to succeed regardless, he is really enthusiastic. The end to his time as coach is important to him and that’s a good sign for our upcoming games over the next few days and next summer. I’ve been here since 2009. Soon I’ll be 35 years old and I have gone through plenty of ups and downs with him.
...the current situation: We had a quick team meeting and are focused on these three games which are really important for helping us gel ahead of the Euros. It will be important to take advantage of every training session and every game. We can’t allow any more mistakes. We want to start with a positive mindset heading into the Euros. We are in a strong group with strong opponents so every game is a final. We will be tested right from the start.
...how the Euros will look: Right now it’s hard to say how the Euros will turn out. Time will tell how everything develops and how things look in society in general. We all hope for a positive change, both for us as people and also for society. We’ll just have to wait and see.
...Ilkay Gündogan: Ilkay is in superb form, we’ve seen that over the last few months. He has lots of experience and is an established part of the national team. The players at the heart of the team are important, they coach the team on and help us to stay compact on the pitch. The centre always has to be well-stocked. Those players decide what happens on the pitch and Ilkay is a huge, important part of the team.
…preparations for the Euros: it will be important to take advantage of every training session on every game, so that it helps us this summer. We need positive results and good experiences as a team. We have it within us, I see plenty of good things in the side.
...a potential successor to Jogi Löw: The Germany coach has to have experience, and he has to have achieved one or two things in German football. He has to know the Bundesliga and the national team players. For us players, it’s about the here and now and not thinking about that.
...his own career: I do my thing regardless of my fitness or how I am doing on the pitch. Saying goodbye to Jogi Löw won’t affect that. I need to feel wanted by the team. That is also really important to me.
Neuhaus on...
...the year ahead: There’s plenty ahead of us and all qualification matches are important for us. For me personally, the last year was really special since I made my debut for the national team. I know the value of being here. In training and in matches I just want to get my chance and then we’ll see how things look in summer.
...saying goodbye to coaches: I think the situation in Mönchengladbach was different. The rumours had been going on longer, it was no big secret anymore. But this is professional football and the team has put it out of our minds. We’ve obviously spoken about it in the dressing room and digest the information. The coach has the right to use his exit clause and the Germany boss has made his exit known early. It doesn’t change anything and we still want to be successful on the pitch.
...the competition in midfield: Germany is a top footballing nation. We can count ourselves lucky to have so many good players. The new arrivals are full of excitement; it’s obviously an extraordinary thing to be here at the age of just 17 or 18. Everyone wants to bring their A-game and show their qualities. Competition is important to keep everyone motivated at all times.
...his expectations: I want to show my best. I managed to do that well last year and I want to keep doing so. I’ve played three international games now and will be really happy to play one or two more. It’s a special feeling to score for Germany. I see myself as a central midfielder who can open up play, get in the box and be a goal threat. I think that’s what the boss wants to see from me.
Younes on…
…his return to the national team: I didn’t expect it to work out so quickly. I wasn’t sure where I stood when I came to Frankfurt. I’m very happy to have been invited back again and to have the chance to train and play with Germany's best players. The most important thing for me is that the performance is right and things are really clicking in that regard at the moment in Frankfurt.
…his footballing strengths: I’m someone who is always looking to learn new things in all areas of my game so that I can improve and become a better player. I’m good at taking players on of course, but I also work very hard off the ball and fight hard for the team, which is just as important. The whole team has to defend in the modern game when you don’t have possession. I’m always trying my hardest to further improve the things that I’m good at. I grew up playing on the streets as well as the football pitch and you have to really assert yourself there. You learn how to beat players in different ways and pick up different skills. You need a wide variety of strengths in professional football, so it’s very important to be a complete player.
…his Euros dream: It’s a huge dream of mine. When you’re called up to the national team, you want to make sure you stay in the squad and show everyone why you’re here. It’s very important that we as a team can achieve the maximum possible amount together. Naturally I want to play a role in making sure that we are successful in our next three matches. There are some players who have not been called up who have a lot of quality, so there’s always a lot of competition for places. That’s definitely a good thing and I’m delighted that I have the opportunity to show what I can do and make a positive impression with the national team.
…the 2017 Confederations Cup: We were a very close-knit bunch and had so much quality in the team, but most importantly we worked well as a team. There were a lot of new players there and the fact that we were able to win without much preparation beforehand really shows the quality of player that Germany has. I hope that we’ll be able to win more titles again, just like we did then.
