Hector: "Win can give us another push"

It was arguably the most important kick of his life: Jonas Hector stepped up as Germany's ninth penalty taker in the quarterfinal shoot-out with Italy on Saturday and found the back of the net to see die Mannschaft through to the semi-final. It was Germany's first ever win against Italy at a major competition. He spoke to DFB.de after the game.

Question: What were you thinking as you walked up to the penalty spot?

Jonas Hector: Not that much actually. I obviously hoped that the ball would go in and fortunately that was the case.

Question: Were you expecting to take a penalty at all?

Hector: I was our ninth taker, so it wasn't really to be expected. But it's not something you can control yourself. When it comes to be your turn, you have to muster all of your courage.

Question: Was this game the craziest and biggest you've ever experienced?

Hector: Yes, it was. I can't remember a game similar to this one. To take the decisive penalty on a stage like this - I've never experienced that before.

Question: How did the team decide on the order of penalty takers?

Hector: The first five were determined beforehand, after that we communicated amongst ourselves who would be next.

Question: Does the goal keep getting smaller as you approach it?<7p>

Hector: It's not really all that big. You do think about where you want the ball to go. I decided for the right corner on short notice.

Question: Could your penalty kick become a key moment for Germany in this tournament?

Hector: The game and our victory can be. Our next game is on Thursday and we don't have as long of a break this time. But if you play in a game like today and win it the way we did - it can give us another push for the semi-final.

Question: You took the decisive penalty, but you were only able to do that because Manuel Neuer made some brilliant saves before that. What do you say on his performance?

Hector: Manuel once again showed his class in this penalty shoot-out. But we shouldn't forget a single player today. I scored the final penalty and that's why I'm standing here now with dozens of microphones under my nose. But I didn't accomplish more than the others.

Question: What was the atmosphere like in the changing rooms after the game?

Hector: We all congratulated each other. But we were mostly relieved. It's just a great feeling to still be in this tournament.

Question: How difficult is it to calm down your nerves after a game like this? Do you think you'll be able to sleep well tonight?

Hector: We still have quite a long trip ahead of us and I think it will be enough time to organise our emotions and thoughts. But like I said: I haven’t been in a situation like this before. I don't know what to expect but I'm just going to let myself be surprised what this night brings.

Question: You also assisted the opener in the second half of regular play. Can you describe what happened in the build up to the 1-0?

Hector: It worked out well. Mario [Gomez] played a great ball and I deliver a pass into the centre. The ball took a deflection and Mesut [Özil] timed his run nicely to put it into the net.

Question: How difficult will it be to replace Mats Hummels in the semi-final, after he picked up a suspension?

Hector: He is not easy to replace. But we already showed at this EURO in our first game that we are capable of playing without him. We have a good squad and we're not worried.