News (engl.)

Germany’s 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in their second World Cup group game secured top spot and a place in the last 32. Nadiem Amiri speaks to DFB.de about making his World Cup debut, setting up the equaliser and his close relationship with head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Nadiem Amiri on…

...Nico Schlotterbeck’s serious injury: It’s been a real blow for all of us, but it has also made us even more determined to go far in this tournament for him. He’s going through an incredibly difficult time. We need to be there for him, while also giving him the time and space to come to terms with it himself.

...having so much support in Toronto: The fans were incredible. I never thought so many people would travel to Canada to support us. It was an incredibly special game for me. Of the 25 members of my family who were there, 20 had never been to a football stadium before. Making my World Cup debut, setting up the equaliser and the way the game unfolded made it a perfect day.

...his relationship with former youth coach Julian Nagelsmann: When someone coaches you at youth level and you’ve known him for such a long time, you’re bound to have a special connection. We won the German U19 title together at Hoffenheim, then kept the senior side in the Bundesliga and later qualified for the Champions League. We shared so many brilliant moments and those experiences brought us close. We stayed in touch even after he was no longer my coach. I really value the way Julian is with people, and I’m incredibly grateful to him.

...not featuring against Curaçao: Every player wants to start a tournament well. I wasn’t downhearted after the Curaçao game because I knew my chance would come. Julian knows that I can come on and get straight into the game. The match against Ivory Coast showed that. It was an unforgettable moment for me.

...his long absence from the Germany squad: You always keep an eye on the national team and being out of the picture hurt at times. But things were difficult for me at Leverkusen, so my focus was on winning back a regular place in the side. I never let that period get the better of me.

...Ecuador and former teammate Piero Hincapie: Piero is a top player and is at Arsenal for a reason. Off the pitch, he’s a lovely guy and a bit mad, while as a footballer he has unbelievable quality. Ecuador have a very good side, even if things haven’t gone their way so far at this tournament. We’ll have to make sure we’re ready.

...the song ‘Der Zug hat keine Bremse’: I love it. It’s not normally my sort of music, but right now it just feels right. Whenever a whole country gets caught up in a tournament, there is always a song that becomes part of it. Let’s hope the train doesn’t find its brakes any time soon. We haven’t actually played it in the dressing room yet, but hearing it in the stadium is brilliant and the fans have really embraced it.

...facing Ecuador with top spot already secured: We need to keep this momentum going. Winning breeds confidence. We owe it to the other sides to approach the game as though our own tournament depends on it. It’s still a very important match. Lots of Germany fans will be in the stadium, with many more watching back home. We want to win and we’ll give it everything. I can’t see Julian experimenting too much. We’ll approach it like a final.