News (engl.)

Germany have begun preparations in Herzogenaurach ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. On the third day of training camp, captain Joshua Kimmich spoke to the media about being successful, the team’s goals at the tournament and the video announcing his call-up. 

Joshua Kimmich on...

…the mood within the team: The first day was when we all arrived, and there was a photoshoot and a couple of other things scheduled. We’ve trained twice now. The sessions were both good, as everyone is eager to be here and are giving it their all, which is what we need. Everyone is excited and knows what’s ahead of us. We’re all highly motivated as a result. 

…recent World Cups: Everyone knows how we did at the last few World Cups. It’s not about wiping the slate clean. This is a new tournament and we have different goals and options, as well as a new team. I’m really looking forward to taking part in the World Cup. As a player, there’s nothing bigger than getting to represent your country at a World Cup. 

…how he would define success at the tournament: If you consider the last European Championship, then we have been able to take a step in the right direction. That tournament was also viewed as a success by the public. We had some good games and some not-so-good games. We also played well against Spain, which meant that the overall conclusions drawn after the tournament were positive. People will judge our approach. We can’t guarantee 100 per cent success, but we will try to be successful with our approach. If that’s right, then the likelihood of success is also high. We shouldn’t be thinking of the final or lifting the trophy now already – it’s obviously a dream we share, but it’s of no use to us at the start of the tournament. If we consider our approach, then we can see that we’ve performed well in recent games. We now need to build on that, for example, the game against Slovakia. That performance set the standard for us, and that’s the level that we need to bring in every game.  

...Manuel Neuer’s comeback: There shouldn’t be any debate about this on a sporting perspective, because as Germany, we want to have the best players here with us. Manu is the greatest goalkeeper of all time and is still one of the best in the world. This debate has somewhat negative undertones; we don’t have any problems when it comes to the position of goalkeeper. We’ve got Manu, who is dealing with a knock at the moment. We’ve got Oli as his back-up who’s ready when needed, even though he was understandably a little disappointed. I would have been disappointed if he hadn’t felt like that. I’m glad that Manu is here with us, because I’ve known him and played alongside him for 11 years. Oli has the support and the backing of the team, which is why I don’t understand this debate. 

…personal goals with the national team: With the national team, the two-year cycle means that you’re always thinking in terms of tournaments. Earning my 100th international cap made me realise for the first time that not many players have reached this milestone, so it means a lot to me. I’m not chasing my 150th cap, but it is a milestone that’s in the back of my mind. I want to represent my country at as many tournaments as possible and be successful. At the moment, I’m focused on the upcoming tournament and want to be successful there. After that, we’ll see what happens. I want to continue playing for Germany for a few more years. 

…the public training sessions at the DFB-Campus: Our team council spoke with the German FA and agreed that we would cover the catering costs. We want to give something back and get people behind us. We’re looking forward to it. 

…the friendly against Finland: We’re looking at it as a chance to establish ourselves in a good rhythm. We’re unbeaten in each of our last seven games and want to build on that. Our final squad for the tournament is set, which makes it a bit different than usual, because normally you always end up with a slightly different squad for the friendlies due to injuries. We now know that we will be spending the next weeks together as a team. We want to use these games in order to familiarise ourselves further on the pitch, build trust amongst each other and with our style of play. Ideally, we will be able to do do with two positive results. 

…the facilities in North America: I was there last summer for the Club World Cup. Everything from the planning to the stadiums was great, but there wasn’t much interest in the tournament. It will be a different story during the World Cup, particularly for the European teams. The conditions won’t make it easy, as the temperature in particularly won’t be something that us Europeans are used to. We will need to quickly get used to those. When it’s already 35C at noon, then that’s different to playing a Champions League game or international friendly at 9 p.m. here. It’s a good thing that we’re arriving early in order to get used to training in those conditions. Everyone has to get used to it, which won’t be easy. 

... Felix Nmecha: Felix is one of Germany’s most talented players. He’s an exceptional player – the way he trains and the quality he has is just amazing. He can have a massive impact on our game. We’re making sure that he stays healthy, so that he can help us. 

... Kai Havertz: I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Kai arrives having won the [Champions League], as a triumph like that can really generate a lot of positive energy. He’s an important player that’s often underestimated in Germany. He was a key figure for us during the EUROs, because he’s got everything needed in order to help us. 

…the squad’s strengths: I think everyone knows what we’re capable of and what we’re not capable of. That’s a big positive. At the last few tournaments, the feeling was that we’re better than what we actually were. There was a lot of discussion about potential, and that we hadn’t managed to bring that to the pitch. This time, I want to do less talking and take more action. If we do that, then we’ll be able to win games. 

…the team compared to other sides: It feels as though Spain, France and Portugal have been able to be consistently strong over the last years and have also managed to win a couple of tournaments. We’re chasing after then in the head-to-head and have also lost our recent meetings with them. We need to have the mindset of being able to beat everyone. Anything is possible on any given day. It’s not a league, but a tournament, and so we need to have the confidence to believe that we can beat anyone – we can definitely do that. 

...politics: We’re talking about it internally. As a player, we have a responsibility to speak up about certain issues. However, we aren’t experts in everything. For us, it’s important to keep the focus on football, especially as we get closer to the tournament. After all, that’s what we’re being judged on. The FA will discuss any related issues, as they have a well-informed opinion. 

…his call-up video: That was really special. It made me realise just how special it is to represent your country at World Cup. My wife and a friend of mine both knew that this video would be coming out soon. He’s my oldest friend from my hometown. He’s looking back on us growing up, when we would pretend to be playing in a World Cup on our local pitch and would sing the anthem in the garden. Now, I really am playing at a World Cup – it’s something special and a huge honour to be able to captain the team at a World Cup. 

...Undav and Woltemade: Both have really settled in to the team. Everyone is giving their all, and that includes the two of them. Nick hasn’t had an easy time of it in recent months, so he’s really excited to be here. We play a different style of football here, which will allow him to really show off his strengths, just like we expect him to do. Both are ready to score goals.