The hardest goodbye for me was when I joined the Stuttgart academy at the age of 14. After that it was the move to Leipzig – I was living far from home and it was not easy for me, but now it’s not a big issue. But of course I am looking forward to having my friends and family around me again after the tournament.
OH, LÀ, LÀ Which EURO 2016 teams play particularly good football? Apart from Germany obviously…
I enjoyed the match between Italy and Belgium. It ebbed and flowed – the Italians were very clever in defence but also managed to score twice. Belgium play nice football generally and they have some outstanding players in their ranks. The same can be said for Spain.
CHAPEAU Which of your teammates have impressed you at the training camp in Ascona and here in Évian?
You have to take your hat off to what Bastian Schweinsteiger did in the game against Ukraine. He came on and settled the game for us – hats off. But I would also say Toni Kroos because he was just outstanding in the first match.
HOMMAGE Which French players have you always admired?
Zidane – he was always amazing. He had great footballing qualities and was just such a complete player. He could play with both feet, dribbled well, had good vision and was dangerous in front of goal. I was particularly amazed at how he almost always put in his greatest performances in the biggest games.
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME Who do you consider favourites to win the European Championship? Apart from Germany obviously…
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: Joshua Kimmich!
RENDEZ-VOUS Which team do you want to meet over the course of the tournament?
I would like to face France – the hosts. The atmosphere in the stadium would definitely be out of this world, and of course it would be a great game.
DÉJÀ-VU Do you remember your first visit to France?
I went to Paris with a friend when I was a child. His father ran a bus company that did trips to Disneyland and we got to go with. As children, it was a massive thing and of course a great experience.
RIEN NE VA PLUS What do you do in the final minutes and seconds before the game begins?
I don’t have any special rituals. I always try to concentrate and to run through my tasks in my head once more. It means that I try to be quite relaxed by the time the game starts.
AU REVOIR How difficult is it to say goodbye to your family and friends before tournaments?
The hardest goodbye for me was when I joined the Stuttgart academy at the age of 14. After that it was the move to Leipzig – I was living far from home and it was not easy for me, but now it’s not a big issue. But of course I am looking forward to having my friends and family around me again after the tournament.
OH, LÀ, LÀ Which EURO 2016 teams play particularly good football? Apart from Germany obviously…
I enjoyed the match between Italy and Belgium. It ebbed and flowed – the Italians were very clever in defence but also managed to score twice. Belgium play nice football generally and they have some outstanding players in their ranks. The same can be said for Spain.
CHAPEAU Which of your teammates have impressed you at the training camp in Ascona and here in Évian?
You have to take your hat off to what Bastian Schweinsteiger did in the game against Ukraine. He came on and settled the game for us – hats off. But I would also say Toni Kroos because he was just outstanding in the first match.
HOMMAGE Which French players have you always admired?
Zidane – he was always amazing. He had great footballing qualities and was just such a complete player. He could play with both feet, dribbled well, had good vision and was dangerous in front of goal. I was particularly amazed at how he almost always put in his greatest performances in the biggest games.
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME Who do you consider favourites to win the European Championship? Apart from Germany obviously…
France. And Spain. I also had high hopes for Belgium before the tournament began but they have had an indifferent start. We’ll see whether they can change this as the tournament goes on.
