Hansi Flick: “The energy is there”

Hansi Flick on…

…the upcoming opposition Belgium: We have made the first step, but now we are facing an opponent of a quite different quality. We are looking forward to the game in Cologne. Belgium have a new coach and a new spirit. You can see that they have outstanding footballers in their squad. They defend compactly and know how to use their possession, especially on the wings and in one-on-one situations, like against Sweden. These are things that make the team stand out, and they are one of the best there is. Belgium are a good opponent to measure ourselves against.

…any changes to the team: Thilo Kehrer will come in at centre back for Nico and Serge Gnabry will play in Kai’s position. We might make one or two further changes. Against Peru, we tried to be well organised and compact in all areas of defence, and we managed that well in parts, but we still have room for improvement, and we want to show that against Belgium.

…the squad as a whole: We deliberately brought in new players and thought about how to put the team together, and exactly what we hoped for has happened. We came out with confidence and there is a good, refreshing atmosphere. The energy is there. We are very happy with what the team has shown and hope to be able to let one or two others play, but our focus is on being successful. We will have to wait and see how the game goes, so I can’t make any promises in advance. We need stability in our game and conviction in defence, that’s why there will only be a few changes. 

…Füllkrug and Werner up front: I assume that we’ll play in the same formation again with the two of them. It has worked very well in attack, and I already said after the Peru game that Timo Werner put a lot of effort in. This creates big gaps in front of the defence that we can use. In defence, some things didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, which we talked a lot about. We have to be better coordinated and we are working on that. We couldn’t expect everything to go perfectly, since we only had a few sessions. We will take the positives from it and the potential that we see and try to improve.

…the absences of Kai Havertz and Nico Schlotterbeck: Kai had a fever, so it would not make sense for him to play again. He went straight to London and is recovering there. With Nico, we didn’t want to take any risks, as he has a muscular problem. It’s nothing serious, and according to what I’ve been told he can be back on the pitch in two or three days. It’s a shame that they are not still with us because they were important players against Peru.

…Emre Can: Emre played well against Peru and also has done in training. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka know each other from their club, but Emre plays with more of a focus on defending. We’ll take some time to think about how we want to line up there.

…Marius Wolf: He has had a good start, but he has to continue putting in these performances. He is very focused and always wants to improve. The talks with his coach Edin Terzić were also very positive. I believe that he will go far. He has now played for the national team and has shown what qualities he has in attack and defence. I was pleased that he set up the second goal, but now it’s a matter of continuing this form.

…the possible landmarks for Ginter and Goretzka: With Matthias, we want to see how he plays. Against Peru, he showed that he was reliable and he brings quality to the team. He did well together with Nico, and I am happy with his development. He is about to take the next step. It’s been good for him that he’s now playing at his home club Freiburg again with a coach who challenges him, but also encourages him. Leon is one of the best midfielders, especially with his current form. With his work against the ball and his energy he is good to have in any team. These things make him stand out, and he brings a certain amount of conviction to the side. When he delivers like he has, he is an important part of the team.

…consideration for players: We will show consideration when it comes to protecting players from injuries. Everyone here can play for all three days, and there are no plans to go easy on them, but we will make sure that if a player is at a limit, we will take that into consideration.

…the mood among the fans: Wins are always good, also for your self-confidence, but the way you play can also inspire the fans. I can already say that I felt a positive atmosphere out there.

Thilo Kehrer on…

…the mood in the team: We have a freshness and renewed energy, especially because of the new players. They are doing very well. They involved themselves from the very first day and have given their full effort in training. This helps the team and the performances, and it also creates competition and a positive energy.

…friendly matches before the European Championship: These are an advantage for us. It depends on how we take on the games, how we prepare in training and how we keep up the competition within the team. You have to take every training session and every friendly match seriously and approach it like a competitive match.

…Belgium: We know that Belgium are even stronger and more dominant than Peru. It is a good indicator for us as we want to show our best side. We will focus on our own skills which we want to bring onto the pitch to put in a good performance. Then we are sure that the result will follow. 

…Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku: We will have to see who plays for Belgium. If Lukaku is playing, we will adjust to that. He has his qualities and physicality, so you have to be smart about it, but that’s the case with any player of his level.

…Niclas Füllkrug: Fülle has his own character, which is visible to everyone. He brings a relaxed attitude to the team. At the same time, he brings fun and energy. We know that we have a lot of quality and, above all, different types of players up front. We benefit form that as a team. We will try to bring them into the game so they can score goals.