Mats Hummels is self-critical, but not naive. The world champion and captain of Borussia Dortmund has been hard on himself after making a couple of mistakes this season. Despite that, he doesn’t believe everything that is written about him. Mats Hummels is curious, and often reads articles online about his performance. "I see a lot of things differently, compared to how they are portrayed in the media," said Hummels in an interview with the Ruhr Nachrichten.
On holiday in Dubai over New Year he was able to switch off, even though he faced Europa League opponents FK Krasnodar at beach volleyball. "I know that I made a few mistakes in the match against them," said Hummels. "But the most important thing is that it went well for the vast majority of the match. 89 minutes went very well. There were though games, like against Krasnodar, where my mistakes led directly to goals. This happens as a defender. Every defender has at least one of those moments in a season. Overall, I have been involved in more goals than I have given away."
Hummels: EURO 2016 "a huge aim for us"
Hummels felt the pressure, both from his private and public life. But he didn’t let it affect him. "I continued to work hard in training, tried new things out - some dribbling, some long passes. I knew there would come a time when I would make a mistake that would lead to us conceding a goal. Things change very swiftly though, and I am able to quickly recover my self-belief."
His self-confidence has long been back. Hummels has returned to Dubai, the place where he tried to get some time away from football, working hard in Borussia’s training camp. They have some big tasks ahead, both in the Bundesliga and the Europa League – and of course for the national side. The world champion has never won the European Championship. "The current generation have never won this tournament. It’s a huge aim for us, and I don’t for a second entertain the idea that the World Cup triumph will lessen our motivation for this summer," said Hummels.
Hummels: "I would never say that winning the trophy is a necessity"
His ambition is undiminished - particularly as time is slowly running out. "You don’t get that many chances to win the tournament, and we don’t have many more," said Hummels: "I am already 27 years old, and won’t be involved in 2024, so this is probably my last real chance. It’s the same for many other players in the side. I would never say that winning the trophy is a necessity." There are seven or eight teams who have a good chance of lifting the trophy this summer.
Hummels will return to Paris in June with Germany, to St. Denis. The same place where they experienced the terror attacks in November of last year. Hummels is hoping for a European Championships free from fear. "I think it’s certainly possible to have a relaxed tournament. People move on quickly. On the one hand this is positive, but on the other hand we can’t play down the fact that there is always a certain element of danger at these kinds of events. Too much has happened in the last months. 2015 was an eventful year for Mats Hummels, and he is hoping for a very different 2016. Less criticism, and a European medal.
