Marcus Sorg on...
... meeting with the U21s: It was impressive to see 40 to 45 of the most talented German players all in one place. We wanted to get the players together but most of them have actually already played together at some point. For us, it’s about introducing the youth players to the first team. Every one of these guys dreams of playing for their country.
... the Confed Cup from a coaching point of view: From a coaching point of view, I see the Confed Cup as a chance to give as many players as possible tournament experience. That is something I really can’t wait for that. The transition from the youth team to the first team is always best done smoothly.
... Diego Demme’s absence: It is a tragedy for him. Diego was very sad because he was very close to collecting experience at a tournament. Diego is a special player and we would have loved to have had him with us but we also have a duty of responsibility towards our players. It would not have made sense for anyone if we had kept him in the squad and risk a long injury-layoff. We have a lot of depth in his position and we have the chance to bring in players from other positions.
... the players’ attitude: We want to use the Confed Cup to give the players a taste of football at international level. The main thing is to concentrate on what we are doing. We don’t want to do things based on what the opposition is doing, but rather that the players are bold and believe in themselves. Of course they need to have certain freedoms on the pitch and be able to bring their strengths to their game. I’m very surprised at what the team have shown so far. I’ve really found their sense of togetherness very touching. We want to see that the boys are up for it because we will definitely have to deal with a tricky situation at some point during the tournament.
... possible squad rotation: We want to have a look at every player and get to know them. It is a unique situation for the goalkeepers. We want to try out different systems and formations so that we can learn as much as possible about each player. Otherwise the tournament would serve the function we want it to.
... Klose’s role on the coaching team: There are not many sets of coaching staff that have a World Cup record goalscorer in their ranks. Miro is responsible for the strikers. He is incredibly important because he knows everything from their perspective.
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Germany will embark on their journey to Sotchi on Thursday morning. DFB President Reinhard Grindel and assistant coach Marcus Sorg tell DFB.de of their excitement ahead of the Confederations Cup in Russia.
Reinhard Grindel on...
... the excitement ahead of the tournament: I’ve thanked the first team, youth team and U21s for the way they have conducted themselves because you can really see how excited they have been during their work. You can tell they are really excited for the tournaments. The DFB delegation sees this tournament as an important part of our preparations for the 2018 World Cup.
... his expectations for the Confed Cup: I’m confident that we will be well-organised in this tournament. The atmosphere that has developed over the years during the Confed Cup has been crucial as to whether or not German fans travel to the subsequent World Cup finals, so we need to make sure the conditions are right. We also expect a total rejection and avoidance of hooliganism.
... the future of the Confed Cup: The burden will only increase with the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams. I believe that it will be difficult to compete at the Confed Cup in Qatar in 2021. That will not be possible for two seasons in a row.
... his stance towards Russia: We will make our position very clear, which is that freedom of thought, of the press and the right to protest are something that Russia is bound to. We are aware that there is a very strong protest on the issue of corruption. One should react to such a protest with dialog and not with incarceration. I will be meeting with the German ambassador and discuss the situation but we need to prepare cleverly and not show any knee-jerk reactions. The team will be participating in a number of social projects during the World Cup.
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Marcus Sorg on...
... meeting with the U21s: It was impressive to see 40 to 45 of the most talented German players all in one place. We wanted to get the players together but most of them have actually already played together at some point. For us, it’s about introducing the youth players to the first team. Every one of these guys dreams of playing for their country.
... the Confed Cup from a coaching point of view: From a coaching point of view, I see the Confed Cup as a chance to give as many players as possible tournament experience. That is something I really can’t wait for that. The transition from the youth team to the first team is always best done smoothly.
... Diego Demme’s absence: It is a tragedy for him. Diego was very sad because he was very close to collecting experience at a tournament. Diego is a special player and we would have loved to have had him with us but we also have a duty of responsibility towards our players. It would not have made sense for anyone if we had kept him in the squad and risk a long injury-layoff. We have a lot of depth in his position and we have the chance to bring in players from other positions.
... the players’ attitude: We want to use the Confed Cup to give the players a taste of football at international level. The main thing is to concentrate on what we are doing. We don’t want to do things based on what the opposition is doing, but rather that the players are bold and believe in themselves. Of course they need to have certain freedoms on the pitch and be able to bring their strengths to their game. I’m very surprised at what the team have shown so far. I’ve really found their sense of togetherness very touching. We want to see that the boys are up for it because we will definitely have to deal with a tricky situation at some point during the tournament.
... possible squad rotation: We want to have a look at every player and get to know them. It is a unique situation for the goalkeepers. We want to try out different systems and formations so that we can learn as much as possible about each player. Otherwise the tournament would serve the function we want it to.
... Klose’s role on the coaching team: There are not many sets of coaching staff that have a World Cup record goalscorer in their ranks. Miro is responsible for the strikers. He is incredibly important because he knows everything from their perspective.
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