The 3-1 friendly loss against Slovakia is history now as Die Mannschaft continue their preparation for the European Championship in France, where they will play their first match against Ukraine on 12th June (21:00 CEST) in Lille. Germany head coach Joachim Löw announced his final squad for the tournament today in Ascona. As well as the coach, World Champions Sami Khedira and Benedikt Höwedes spoke at the press conference about the upcoming friendly on Saturday (18:00 CEST) against Hungary in Gelsenkirchen.
Sami Khedira on…
… the final EURO squad: The four players who won’t be travelling are still members of the team. It is not an easy situation but it has to be that way.
…Marco Reus missing out through injury: It is a terrible setback for him but he accepted the decision calmly. I am convinced that he will get another chance to perform on the international stage.
…his own fitness: I personally feel much better than I did before the last tournament. I have got my rhythm and feel good. It’s definitely an advantage as I can have more influence.
…his role in the team: It hasn’t changed since 2012 or 2014. I will try to do my bit and help the team.
…the focus in the coming days: You could see on Sunday that we have to work on playing together as a team. We have some new players in the squad and we need to get used to each other. Other than that, our focus will be mostly on tactics and set-pieces.
…Germany’s chances at EURO 2016: We have the quality. I am positive that we have solved the problems with our mentality since the World Cup. Every individual is responsible for helping the team with their strengths.
Benedikt Höwedes on…
…Marco Reus‘ omission: He’s obviously really disappointed. Things like that hurt a lot. It is an unbelievably difficult decision for him and also for us as his team mates. However, I hope that Marco can turn his emotions into a positive energy.
The 3-1 friendly loss against Slovakia is history now as Die Mannschaft continue their preparation for the European Championship in France, where they will play their first match against Ukraine on 12th June (21:00 CEST) in Lille. Germany head coach Joachim Löw announced his final squad for the tournament today in Ascona. As well as the coach, World Champions Sami Khedira and Benedikt Höwedes spoke at the press conference about the upcoming friendly on Saturday (18:00 CEST) against Hungary in Gelsenkirchen.
Sami Khedira on…
… the final EURO squad: The four players who won’t be travelling are still members of the team. It is not an easy situation but it has to be that way.
…Marco Reus missing out through injury: It is a terrible setback for him but he accepted the decision calmly. I am convinced that he will get another chance to perform on the international stage.
…his own fitness: I personally feel much better than I did before the last tournament. I have got my rhythm and feel good. It’s definitely an advantage as I can have more influence.
…his role in the team: It hasn’t changed since 2012 or 2014. I will try to do my bit and help the team.
…the focus in the coming days: You could see on Sunday that we have to work on playing together as a team. We have some new players in the squad and we need to get used to each other. Other than that, our focus will be mostly on tactics and set-pieces.
…Germany’s chances at EURO 2016: We have the quality. I am positive that we have solved the problems with our mentality since the World Cup. Every individual is responsible for helping the team with their strengths.
Benedikt Höwedes on…
…Marco Reus‘ omission: He’s obviously really disappointed. Things like that hurt a lot. It is an unbelievably difficult decision for him and also for us as his team mates. However, I hope that Marco can turn his emotions into a positive energy.
…his own selection: I am happy to be valued. I am extremely happy that I am fully fit in time for the tournament and have the coach’s trust. It is a great feeling.
… his defensive versatility: I don’t have a certain position so to say. The fact that I played at left-back in 2014 also shocked me. It’s fine though, as I am someone who takes things as they are and always does my best. I am a team player.
…the situation going into the Hungary match: We are in good shape and looking forward to a good 90-minute test against Hungary after the water-polo match against Slovakia. I am convinced that we can improve and move forwards.
… the meaning of the friendly result: It was a good test in which we were made aware of things that we can improve on. The Slovakia match was a dampener but we are not unsettled by the result. We are still full of confidence.
…the role he expects Schalke team mate Leroy Sané to play: Everyone knows the qualities Leroy has. He has pace to burn and can always do something special.
