Heynckes: "Would have been champions had they had the whole spine"

As a player he was World and European champion, and he went on to be a title-winning manager, claiming the Champions League with Real Madrid in 1998 and the never before seen treble with Bayern München in 2013. Jupp Heynckes is also one of Germany’s most successful players ever. As a top striker he was German champion four times with Borussia Mönchengladbach, won the DFB Cup, the UEFA Cup and is the third-highest goalscorer in Bundesliga history with 220 goals, behind Gerd Müller (365) and Klaus Fischer (268), while he won the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup with the Germany national team.

In an interview with DFB.de, Jupp Heynckes (71) looks back at EURO 2016 in France, assesses Germany’s exit from the competition and analyses their overall performance. He gives his opinion on Portugal’s victory and outlines the prospects of Joachim Löw’s team looking ahead to the 2018 World Cup.

DFB.de: Herr Heynckes, Germany have missed out on the dream of getting the double, with the current World Champions knocked out in the semi-finals. How do you assess this performance?

Jupp Heynckes: In getting to the semi-final, they have definitely fulfilled expectations. However, Jogi Löw and the team will definitely have expected more, especially considering the number of beatable teams in this year’s tournament. But looking back, I think you also have to take the disadvantages into consideration, with which the team came into this tournament.

DFB.de: For example?

Heynckes: Important players like boating, Schweinsteiger, Hummels and Khedira were just coming back from injuries. They were forced to find their competitive form in the tournament itself, and then Khedira and Boateng suffered injuries again. I think, had the manager had all of his players at his disposal, especially the spine of the team, and had Mats Hümmels not been suspended and Mario Gomez not been injured for the semi-final, then we would have gone on to win the tournament. I have no doubts about that.

DFB.de: What conclusion have you come to about the overall Germany performance in France?

Heynckes: When you look at the entire tournament, we were technically the best team. Opening up the game, keeping the ball and accurate passing – we did these things really well in certain games. However, I always had the feeling that something was missing. For example, our general chance conversion. And when I look back at the game against France, there was a lot of determination, a change of tempo and aggression in the opposition’s penalty area. But seven goals in six games is nowhere close to how well we did in Brazil two years ago.

DFB.de: What do you put this down to?

Heynckes: On the one hand, it definitely has something to do with the fact that although Thomas Müller worked very hard and covered a lot of distance, he wasn’t as cool and collected in the box as we are used to from him. It was clear to see that he was a bit jaded. I know, as a former striker, how important high levels of concentration in front of the opposition goal are. You take this from your inner balance and calmness, and I think that a very strenuous season played a decisive role in how Thomas performed.

DFB.de: And on the other hand…?

Heynckes: …We missed Mario Gomez, who after celebrating such a fantastic comeback, got injured again. This left us without the power and assertiveness of an out and out goalscorer.

DFB.de: As expected, Jogi Löw has officially stated that he will stay on as Germany head coach. How do you assess the team’s prospects and chances of a successful title defence at the 2018 World Cup in Russia?

Heynckes: What I have to say on the matter counts for the road to the World Cup as well as the tournament itself. Jogi Löw knows himself that he needs to find new alternatives in certain positions, in order to give the squad a bit more balance.

DFB.de: World Cups and European Championships excite the masses more than most other events, and around 30 million people tune in to watch the games. How was it in 1972, when Germany qualified for a European Championship finals for the first time, and won it on their first attempt?

Heynckes: Viewing figures like that were simply unthinkable at the time. However, I recently saw images from the time, with a huge amount of people at the final in Brussels standing and longing for the final whistle. That was the first time I had ever experienced huge crowds of fans storming the pitch in euphoria. That goes to show how much anticipation there was at the time for us to get our first European Championship. However, nowadays football stirs the emotions even more, especially among young people.

DFB.de: Because of your incredibly high level of technical ability, that team is still to this day called the “Team of the Century". Is that fair?

Heynckes: It is fundamentally impossible to look at football at the time with today’s standards. The rapid development of the game has to be taken into consideration. Nevertheless, becoming European champions in 1972 and then World champions two years later took a first-class and unbelievably talented team, as well as some big players. This is something that we undoubtedly had in that decade. With Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier from Bayern, with Günter Netzer, Berti Vogts and Hacki Wimmer from Gladbach, with Grabowski und Hölzenbein from Frankfurt, with Erwin Kremers and with all the others.

DFB.de: So it was the "Team of the Century"?

Heynckes: One thing is clear and undisputed – at the time we played unbelievably fantastic football, with exceptional players.

DFB.de: Back to the EUROs. The 1972 finals took place as a mini tournament with just four teams. This summer there were 24 teams at EURO 2016 in France. How did this work out?

Heynckes: Of course, everyone has different opinions as to whether the inclusion of 24 teams reduces the quality of the tournament. On the other hand, you have to emphasise that Iceland, Ireland, Wales, even Hungary and Northern Ireland really brought out the best from their fans, because they played with so much heart and passion. It was pure emotion. Footballers need this atmosphere and the applause of their fans.

DFB.de: What do you think of Portugal being new European champions?

Heynckes: Obviously the Portugal team were heavily criticised after not getting a win in their first few games. The format made it possible for them to finish third in their group and still go on to win the tournament. They were working under Fernando Santos, who I know from my time at Benfica, when he was head coach at Porto. In the final, they really lifted their game in extra time, and showed that they do have a team full of very good footballers. And obviously Cristiano Ronaldo – even though he was forced to leave the final early through injury. For a country like Portugal it is a fantastic thing to finally have won a major tournament.

DFB.de: And is this an indication of how the further development of international football will look?

Heynckes: I don’t think that this is a sign of what football will be like in the future. There have always been surprise results like this one, for example when Greece won EURO 2004 playing in a very similar fashion under Otto Rehhagel. Portugal 2016 is definitely not the future of football, but is one of the biggest moments for Portuguese football. I am really pleased for Portugal, who have always just missed out, despite having players like Luis Figo, Rui Costa, Deco, Pauleta, Nuno Gomes, Joao Pinto and of course Ronaldo in 2004. Now they have finally achieved something huge.

DFB.de: Does Löw’s current team remind you of the EURO 1972 team in terms of their talent and playing potential?

Heynckes: German football has brought up many fantastic young players over the last decade. Exceptional talents, who have developed into world-class players. To work with such exceptional players and great characters is a privilege for any coach. The relationship between the head coach, the coaching staff and the players has always worked really well, and the team under Jogi löw has created a lot of anticipation over the last ten years with their creativity and brilliant football. And I am not just talking about the unbelievable performance in 2014, when they beat brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semi-final. But you should never compare today’s team with the European Championship winning side of 1972. That was a completely different time.

DFB.de: Nevertheless, how much will the “Team of the Century” from 1972, which won the World Cup two years later, forever have the measure of things because of their style of play and effectiveness at major tournaments?

Heynckes: Gerd Müller, who helped us to the 1974 World Cup title, and with four goals in the semi-final and final got us the EUROs two years earlier, will always have the measure of things at major tournaments in terms of chance conversion and determination. But people should not exaggerate things purely because of the nostalgia. We have a fantastic national team, which deserves the huge viewing figures and fan support that follows it. However, winning titles is absolutely everything, and is the real proof of exceptional development. They are and will remain the measuring stick, against which the current generation will compare other teams in the future. A lot of work will be put in now, and self-scrutiny is essential.