It’s already a long time at the European Championships and it’ll be a record time away for me. I’m playing in my first major tournament. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy but the excitement of being here outweighs that.
CHAPEAU Which of your teammates have impressed you at the training camp in Ascona and here in Évian?
I couldn’t name one particular player. We have lots of outstanding footballers in our ranks and each individual has skills that impress me.
HOMAGE Which French players have you always admired?
Zidane. A player who won everything and could do almost everything.
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME Who do you consider favourites to win the European Championship? Apart from Germany obviously...
France have a very good team and home advantage. England shouldn’t be underestimated and Spain are always in the running.
From faux pas to favourites, déjà vu to dream teams, DFB.de is asking each member of Die Mannschaft to preview EURO 2016. In honour of the hosts, there’s a French flavour to all the questions. Next up: Jonas Hector!
RENDEZ-VOUS Which team do you want to meet over the course of the tournament?
I can’t name one team because for me, they’re generally all big teams. We lost our last game against France, although under special conditions. I’d like to face them, especially because they’re the hosts. And if we beat France, we would have taken a huge step towards the title, irrespective of which round we meet them.
DÉJA-VU Do you remember your first visit to France?
Unfortunately, I can’t for the life of me remember, even though I visited quite often. It was just a stone’s throw over the border from my house and I also have relatives in France through my father. Therefore I was often coming and going to family celebrations.
RIEN NE VA PLUS What do you do in the final minutes and seconds before the game begins?
I go through my tasks. But above all, I look forward to the upcoming 90 minutes. That’s central to my pre-match routine.
AU REVOIR How difficult is it to say goodbye to your family and friends before tournaments?
It’s already a long time at the European Championships and it’ll be a record time away for me. I’m playing in my first major tournament. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy but the excitement of being here outweighs that.
CHAPEAU Which of your teammates have impressed you at the training camp in Ascona and here in Évian?
I couldn’t name one particular player. We have lots of outstanding footballers in our ranks and each individual has skills that impress me.
HOMAGE Which French players have you always admired?
Zidane. A player who won everything and could do almost everything.
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME Who do you consider favourites to win the European Championship? Apart from Germany obviously...
France have a very good team and home advantage. England shouldn’t be underestimated and Spain are always in the running.
