SAMI KHEDIRA on...
... the significance of the game: It’s a qualifying match and we will take it seriously. It’s not important who our opponents are, but how we play. Football is always enjoyable when you play well, score goals and win.
... the recent criticism of the fixtures calendar: It’s generally the case that there are a lot of games, and they all have to be fit in somehow. But I haven’t given that any thought - I’m happy to be here with the national team. It is a very full schedule, and there won’t be any fewer games, but once you’re here you have to just enjoy it.
... the importance of the captain’s armband and leaders in the team: I don’t know if I’ll be leading the team out tomorrow as captain, but it’s not really that important for me personally. We’ve got a lot of young players who are well established, and now we’ve got another three with us. It’s almost a bit worrying to look at their dates of birth! They bring a certain freshness into the squad, and you can see in training what incredible quality they have as well. They’ve been taught the game well, and don’t need any introductions. The most important thing for me is to lead by example out on the pitch.
... the fact that he will only play in the first game: Nothing has changed there. I don’t just make that decision on a whim - it’s been agreed with the coach. If I play tomorrow, then it will be my 17th match in three months. Last year I played 24 times for Juve and two or three times for the national team in the whole year before the European Championship, and that tells you a lot. It’s more important to play at a high level throughout the whole season, so it’s also important to have a rest every now and then.
... any plans to beat the 13-0 scoreline from 2006: We haven’t been thinking about any records necessarily, but we do want to score lots of goals. The fact that we want to win the game goes without saying. We respect San Marino, but we know that we are the better team. We want to treat the fans to a good performance, and that’s the most important thing.
created by mmc/vs/rd
Joachim Löw, national team record goalscorer Miroslav Klose and Sami Khedira were on hand to answer the questions in today’s press conference, ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino (20:45 CET) in Serravalle. The discussion not only centred on the upcoming international games, but also Klose’s new role as a Germany coach. DFB.de sums up all of the important quotes from the press conference.
JOACHIM LÖW on…
...the starting eleven against San Marino: Marc-André Ter Stegen will be in goal against San Marino tomorrow, with Bernd Leno taking the gloves against Italy. We have a few players missing, but that doesn’t matter. We have a good team, with a lot of young players in the squad. There will therefore be no change in our style of play. Other players now have a chance to perform and stake their claim. Ilkay Gündogan will play tomorrow and Mario Gomez, who has been out for a while, will also start. We will think about the other positions in the team in training this evening.
...klose’s new role: I am really happy that we have Miro on board. I had thought about Hansi Flick at the time he became sporting director of the DFB in 2014 and how we could integrate former players in to the coaching set-up. We had spoken to Miro about it in advance and offered him the chance to do his coaching badges. He wouldn’t just be a role model to the players in the junior national teams. Miro has a lot of experience and we will show him the ropes in the upcoming months. After that, he will be great support in helping us develop our attacking play. He will observe closely and be able to give some insightful tips to the players. He will also be with us for the international games in March. In between then, we will see each other a few times. Following that, it will be time for the Confederations Cup and I think that we will be able to benefit from his input.
...similarities between new boy Benjamin Henrichs and Philipp Lahm: All new players who join the squad should get game time. That’s the whole idea of these games. Henrichs has now played in many different positions for Leverkusen. He is still very young and has to keep developing himself. It is interesting that he can play on both the right and the left and has no issues in making that switch. What I have seen of him has been very good, whether it be in the Bundesliga or the Champions League. I don’t think we should be making comparisons of him to other players, though. Philipp Lahm is a special player, who has put in consistent performances for many years. He has played on the right, the left, as a defensive midfielder and even just off the striker. He had an exceptional career with the national team and Benjamin Henrichs has a long way to go before he reaches that. However, he has the makings of a good player.
...the difficulties of integrating young players: That won’t be difficult. We have a lot of tests for them, including the Confederations Cup in 2017. These will be good opportunities to see the young players in action and watch them closely in training. Following that, we will be able to tell which players will make it to the World Cup in 2018 and which ones will probably get a chance at the EUROS in 2020. At major tournaments, it’s not about picking players based on age, but picking the best 23 players at your disposal. The players have all the right qualities. At the beginning of my time as head coach of Germany, we didn’t have that pool of players. Back then the players weren’t even regulars for their clubs. We are therefore delighted that young players nowadays are getting chances with their clubs. Only then can players really develop.
MIROSLAV KLOSE on…
...his return to the national team: I’m really happy to once again be a part of the big Germany family and have the opportunity to try my hand at coaching. I’ve been playing with the idea of coaching for a while now. Even as a player, I thought a lot about tactics and decided to learn about the idea side of the game. Not everyone gets the opportunity to enter into coaching with a World Cup winning coach. I want to take in as much as possible.
...the quality of the young players: Obviously a few things have changed. When you get to see training close up, you can tell that the dynamics of the team have gone to another level. It really is unbelievable to see how technically accomplished these 20 and 21-year-olds are.
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SAMI KHEDIRA on...
... the significance of the game: It’s a qualifying match and we will take it seriously. It’s not important who our opponents are, but how we play. Football is always enjoyable when you play well, score goals and win.
... the recent criticism of the fixtures calendar: It’s generally the case that there are a lot of games, and they all have to be fit in somehow. But I haven’t given that any thought - I’m happy to be here with the national team. It is a very full schedule, and there won’t be any fewer games, but once you’re here you have to just enjoy it.
... the importance of the captain’s armband and leaders in the team: I don’t know if I’ll be leading the team out tomorrow as captain, but it’s not really that important for me personally. We’ve got a lot of young players who are well established, and now we’ve got another three with us. It’s almost a bit worrying to look at their dates of birth! They bring a certain freshness into the squad, and you can see in training what incredible quality they have as well. They’ve been taught the game well, and don’t need any introductions. The most important thing for me is to lead by example out on the pitch.
... the fact that he will only play in the first game: Nothing has changed there. I don’t just make that decision on a whim - it’s been agreed with the coach. If I play tomorrow, then it will be my 17th match in three months. Last year I played 24 times for Juve and two or three times for the national team in the whole year before the European Championship, and that tells you a lot. It’s more important to play at a high level throughout the whole season, so it’s also important to have a rest every now and then.
... any plans to beat the 13-0 scoreline from 2006: We haven’t been thinking about any records necessarily, but we do want to score lots of goals. The fact that we want to win the game goes without saying. We respect San Marino, but we know that we are the better team. We want to treat the fans to a good performance, and that’s the most important thing.
