[bild1]
During the Wold-Cup qualification the German national team will play against Kazakhstan first in Astana (Friday 22 of March) and four days later in Nurnberg. In the run-up captain Philipp Lahm spoke to dfb.de about his own situation and about the situation of the DFB-team.
DFB.de: One of your favourite hobbies is Snooker; you also have a snooker table at home. Do you still have time to play after your son's birth?
Philipp Lahm: Just rarely. My family keeps me on the go and of course I have lots of appointments as a football player. Luckily, we are very successful. That’s why we don’t play only on the weekend but also during the week. Consequently, as a dad, I have less free time. My Snooker-game suffers from that as well.
DFB.de: Why are you so fascinated by Snooker?
Lahm: It is very strategic. You don’t just think about how to get the ball into the pocket, but also consider the scene after your action. You have to play foresightedly. In one way Snooker is also brutal. You have to strive for the maximum of perfection, because every mistake is punished with a loss of frame. No situation is like another and every hit is challenging. I find this challenge quite tempting.
DFB.de: Different than in football…
Lahm: Why?
DFB.de: You said that there is not a lot more new to come in football. Because you often played as right or left defender and know most of the situations…
Lahm: That is right. I have played on the position of the left or the right defender for so many years. I think that I have the position under control. That allows me to influence the structure of the team.
DFB.de: What do you mean?
Lahm: That evolved during the years. It is normal that you look at yourself at the beginning of your career. You ask yourself: How can I get better? What do I need to work on? Which are the mistakes I made? Over time you gain experience and look not only at yourself but at the others as well.
DFB.de: So, you’re just a full back on the side?
Lahm: No of course not. I still have to look at my play and question myself. But if you are on the same position for years and experienced a lot you can look after the team form.
DFB.de: Bastian Schweinsteiger says that he feels a similar responsibility. After a game he is exhausted more mentally than physically. Do you experience the same?
Lahm: It depends on the game and on the intensity. You are not equally physically demanded in every game. The same is for the head. The elimination games are mentally more exhausting than ‘normal’ games at the beginning of the Bundesliga of course.
DFB.de: To many cooks spoil the broth, you say. Can one team have too many players to be responsible for the overall structure?
Lahm: In every team there are more players who are not only focussed on their own game. It is good to share the responsibility.
DFB.de: Your year 2013 had begun very positively, with Bayern anyway, but also with the national team. When you won against the French national team, the balance between defence and attacking play was very good. This is what Coach Joachim Löw attaches a high importance to. Do you find that the next step will be to have that balance constantly?
Lahm: That is what playing on a high level is about. If you look at the matches of top teams, you can see that their way of playing is impressed by this balance. It is most difficult in football to act offensively but also stay organized in defence. The attacking play also lives from that. Stability in defence gives safety for creative and venturesome attacks. It is very difficult to work out balance. And even for the national team, because we are together for just a few days now and then. We only have a chance to work on that in preparation for a tournament.
DFB.de: The next tournament is the World Cup in 2014. Germany is not qualified yet. Do you fear that the last game against Sweden could settle the group winner?
Lahm: It is not in our hand to prevent that. If Sweden wins all their games, it would be the case. But I don’t fear anything. Elimination games are always interesting; I see them as a challenge. But we can not think about the game against Sweden right now. We have to manage some other tasks before that; we should not do the second step before the first one. We will just look for ourselves and I am sure that, if we do a good job, our quality will be successful.
DFB.de: Bayern won’t lose the majority of ten games against any European team, you said. Does that count for the national team as well?
Lahm: Yes, similar. The past years showed that. We constantly reached to be in the semi-finals in big tournaments. We are at eye-level with most of the teams. But you also have to see that the Spanish national team has won the past three tournaments in a row. I think that they have an exposed rank in the world’s football. For me they have a superior quality. At any tournament they are the biggest favourite to win the title.
DFB.de: Would the chance for the German team to win the title be bigger if they would play in the same structure as the Bundesliga?
Lahm: I don’t know, and that won’t happen all too fast. (Laughing). I like the current mode, with the preliminary round and the knockout stage. It is a special attraction, for the fans, but also for us players.
DFB.de: If everything goes normal you will be celebrating you 100th game with the national team, currently you had 96 matches. Your career in the national team began ten years ago. How good to you remember your first international match?
Lahm: You don’t forget that at all, it is always present. The first invitation, the first moments with the team and the first match – I remember it as if it was yesterday. Those moments leave their mark on you. At that time I was a pro for half a year, when I was called to the international game against Croatia. It all went so fast, in six month I went from being an amateur to being a national team player.
DFB.de: In the meantime you are team captain and a leading player. How did the pressure that you feel when you go to be with the national team change?
Lahm: I wouldn’t link that to the pressure, even as a young player you are under pressure. Nevertheless the two situations –then and today- are not comparable. Not because the structure of the national team changed a lot. When I was new, I was surrounded by lots of older players, all about 30 years old. Now I am close to be 30 - and suddenly I am with a lot of players that are younger than me.
DFB.de: Your first tournament as a national player was moderately successful. During the European Championship in 2004 in Portugal your team was eliminated in the pre-elimination round. Nonetheless Oliver Kahn said something very positive about you. It was said that the praise did you good. Did you copy something from Oliver Kahn? Do you approach the young players after a disappointment?
Lahm: He said that on the side. I don’t think he remembers. But for me as a young player it was very important. Of course I thought about my performance and my contribution to the failure. With that his words helped me - in my disappointment the gesture and appreciation cheered me up. An I try do to that in a similar way.. But thankfully we haven’t been eliminated in an elimination round since 2004.
DFB.de: At that time the praise from Oliver Kahn did you good. Is there any person, whose praise means a lot to you?
[bild2]
Lahm: Essentially those are our coaches, Jupp Heynckes and Joachim Löw. Coaches and team mates know the tasks of the players at a specific game best.
DFB.de: Before the games you often have a feeling for how the team is feeling. Did you have any idea what was about to come before the semi-final against Italy during the European Championship?
Lahm: During the first minutes of a play you get a feel about your own feelings and the feelings of your team mates. Before that game against Italy I had a very good feeling. I knew about the quality of our team and also the performance was good before the game. Sometimes our feelings mislead us. But now we quit with Italy and the EURO, we have new goals.
DFB.de: You differentiate between dreams and goals. Is the winning of the World Cup in Brazil next year still a dream or yet a goal?
Lahm: I think it is too early to talk about what could happen in summer 2014. After the EURO I made some statements about the World Cup, because a German national team with its history and the quality of the current squad can’t go to a tournament without some bigger ambitions. As a top athlete you always are ambitious and want to win as much titles as possible. Of course I have the dream of winning the World Cup. But right now we have to concentrate on our goals. We have to qualify as soon as possible. When we reached that we will try to prepare the best we can for the World Cup. Our goal will be to reach the elimination round. One step after another, out of many goals can result a dream. That is why the nearest goal is most important.
created by dfb
[bild1]
During the Wold-Cup qualification the German national team will play against Kazakhstan first in Astana (Friday 22 of March) and four days later in Nurnberg. In the run-up captain Philipp Lahm spoke to dfb.de about his own situation and about the situation of the DFB-team.
DFB.de: One of your favourite hobbies is Snooker; you also have a snooker table at home. Do you still have time to play after your son's birth?
Philipp Lahm: Just rarely. My family keeps me on the go and of course I have lots of appointments as a football player. Luckily, we are very successful. That’s why we don’t play only on the weekend but also during the week. Consequently, as a dad, I have less free time. My Snooker-game suffers from that as well.
DFB.de: Why are you so fascinated by Snooker?
Lahm: It is very strategic. You don’t just think about how to get the ball into the pocket, but also consider the scene after your action. You have to play foresightedly. In one way Snooker is also brutal. You have to strive for the maximum of perfection, because every mistake is punished with a loss of frame. No situation is like another and every hit is challenging. I find this challenge quite tempting.
DFB.de: Different than in football…
Lahm: Why?
DFB.de: You said that there is not a lot more new to come in football. Because you often played as right or left defender and know most of the situations…
Lahm: That is right. I have played on the position of the left or the right defender for so many years. I think that I have the position under control. That allows me to influence the structure of the team.
DFB.de: What do you mean?
Lahm: That evolved during the years. It is normal that you look at yourself at the beginning of your career. You ask yourself: How can I get better? What do I need to work on? Which are the mistakes I made? Over time you gain experience and look not only at yourself but at the others as well.
DFB.de: So, you’re just a full back on the side?
Lahm: No of course not. I still have to look at my play and question myself. But if you are on the same position for years and experienced a lot you can look after the team form.
DFB.de: Bastian Schweinsteiger says that he feels a similar responsibility. After a game he is exhausted more mentally than physically. Do you experience the same?
Lahm: It depends on the game and on the intensity. You are not equally physically demanded in every game. The same is for the head. The elimination games are mentally more exhausting than ‘normal’ games at the beginning of the Bundesliga of course.
DFB.de: To many cooks spoil the broth, you say. Can one team have too many players to be responsible for the overall structure?
Lahm: In every team there are more players who are not only focussed on their own game. It is good to share the responsibility.
DFB.de: Your year 2013 had begun very positively, with Bayern anyway, but also with the national team. When you won against the French national team, the balance between defence and attacking play was very good. This is what Coach Joachim Löw attaches a high importance to. Do you find that the next step will be to have that balance constantly?
Lahm: That is what playing on a high level is about. If you look at the matches of top teams, you can see that their way of playing is impressed by this balance. It is most difficult in football to act offensively but also stay organized in defence. The attacking play also lives from that. Stability in defence gives safety for creative and venturesome attacks. It is very difficult to work out balance. And even for the national team, because we are together for just a few days now and then. We only have a chance to work on that in preparation for a tournament.
DFB.de: The next tournament is the World Cup in 2014. Germany is not qualified yet. Do you fear that the last game against Sweden could settle the group winner?
Lahm: It is not in our hand to prevent that. If Sweden wins all their games, it would be the case. But I don’t fear anything. Elimination games are always interesting; I see them as a challenge. But we can not think about the game against Sweden right now. We have to manage some other tasks before that; we should not do the second step before the first one. We will just look for ourselves and I am sure that, if we do a good job, our quality will be successful.
DFB.de: Bayern won’t lose the majority of ten games against any European team, you said. Does that count for the national team as well?
Lahm: Yes, similar. The past years showed that. We constantly reached to be in the semi-finals in big tournaments. We are at eye-level with most of the teams. But you also have to see that the Spanish national team has won the past three tournaments in a row. I think that they have an exposed rank in the world’s football. For me they have a superior quality. At any tournament they are the biggest favourite to win the title.
DFB.de: Would the chance for the German team to win the title be bigger if they would play in the same structure as the Bundesliga?
Lahm: I don’t know, and that won’t happen all too fast. (Laughing). I like the current mode, with the preliminary round and the knockout stage. It is a special attraction, for the fans, but also for us players.
DFB.de: If everything goes normal you will be celebrating you 100th game with the national team, currently you had 96 matches. Your career in the national team began ten years ago. How good to you remember your first international match?
Lahm: You don’t forget that at all, it is always present. The first invitation, the first moments with the team and the first match – I remember it as if it was yesterday. Those moments leave their mark on you. At that time I was a pro for half a year, when I was called to the international game against Croatia. It all went so fast, in six month I went from being an amateur to being a national team player.
DFB.de: In the meantime you are team captain and a leading player. How did the pressure that you feel when you go to be with the national team change?
Lahm: I wouldn’t link that to the pressure, even as a young player you are under pressure. Nevertheless the two situations –then and today- are not comparable. Not because the structure of the national team changed a lot. When I was new, I was surrounded by lots of older players, all about 30 years old. Now I am close to be 30 - and suddenly I am with a lot of players that are younger than me.
DFB.de: Your first tournament as a national player was moderately successful. During the European Championship in 2004 in Portugal your team was eliminated in the pre-elimination round. Nonetheless Oliver Kahn said something very positive about you. It was said that the praise did you good. Did you copy something from Oliver Kahn? Do you approach the young players after a disappointment?
Lahm: He said that on the side. I don’t think he remembers. But for me as a young player it was very important. Of course I thought about my performance and my contribution to the failure. With that his words helped me - in my disappointment the gesture and appreciation cheered me up. An I try do to that in a similar way.. But thankfully we haven’t been eliminated in an elimination round since 2004.
DFB.de: At that time the praise from Oliver Kahn did you good. Is there any person, whose praise means a lot to you?
[bild2]
Lahm: Essentially those are our coaches, Jupp Heynckes and Joachim Löw. Coaches and team mates know the tasks of the players at a specific game best.
DFB.de: Before the games you often have a feeling for how the team is feeling. Did you have any idea what was about to come before the semi-final against Italy during the European Championship?
Lahm: During the first minutes of a play you get a feel about your own feelings and the feelings of your team mates. Before that game against Italy I had a very good feeling. I knew about the quality of our team and also the performance was good before the game. Sometimes our feelings mislead us. But now we quit with Italy and the EURO, we have new goals.
DFB.de: You differentiate between dreams and goals. Is the winning of the World Cup in Brazil next year still a dream or yet a goal?
Lahm: I think it is too early to talk about what could happen in summer 2014. After the EURO I made some statements about the World Cup, because a German national team with its history and the quality of the current squad can’t go to a tournament without some bigger ambitions. As a top athlete you always are ambitious and want to win as much titles as possible. Of course I have the dream of winning the World Cup. But right now we have to concentrate on our goals. We have to qualify as soon as possible. When we reached that we will try to prepare the best we can for the World Cup. Our goal will be to reach the elimination round. One step after another, out of many goals can result a dream. That is why the nearest goal is most important.
