The European U19 Championship represents the next big tournament facing the Germany youth teams. The DFB-Team U19s travel to Greece as reigning Europeans champions. In an interview with DFB.de, U19s manager Marcus Sorg talks about preparations for the tournament, the quality of the opposition and Germany’s chances of retaining their crown.
DFB.de: Mr. Sorg, you returned from last year’s European U19 Championship in Hungary as champions. Do you often think back to that success?
Marcus Sorg: I do, from time to time, and I’m always looking to help the boys develop further. I’m really happy with the steps Joshua Kimmich has made, for example. As a sportsman you’re always thinking of the next challenge, creating new goals for yourself and working out how to achieve them. Therefore my focus quickly switched from the 2014 championship to the current team and how we could qualify for Greece.
DFB.de: Qualification couldn’t have gone better.
Sorg: That’s right. Only one of four strong teams progresses from the second qualification round, which turns every game into a final. In our last game against the Czech Republic we had to win by a big margin to go through. The way the team dealt with the pressure during that game was remarkable. Also the fact that they didn’t let off until the end – that says a lot about the mentality of the team. By winning 6-0 we were can honestly say we’ve earned our ticket to Greece.
DFB.de: How have preparations for this championship gone since qualification?
Sorg: Due to the season’s calendar, we weren’t able to have any sort of proper preparations. That game against the Czech Republic was our last game together. After the end of last season, we got the boys together at a week-long training camp in Grassau and studied certain aspects of our game. After that the players went on their well-deserved holiday and our arrival in Greece marks the start of the real work.
DFB.de: With players like Timo Wenter and Leroy Sane, you have players with a lot of Bundesliga experience at your disposal.
The European U19 Championship represents the next big tournament facing the Germany youth teams. The DFB-Team U19s travel to Greece as reigning Europeans champions. In an interview with DFB.de, U19s manager Marcus Sorg talks about preparations for the tournament, the quality of the opposition and Germany’s chances of retaining their crown.
DFB.de: Mr. Sorg, you returned from last year’s European U19 Championship in Hungary as champions. Do you often think back to that success?
Marcus Sorg: I do, from time to time, and I’m always looking to help the boys develop further. I’m really happy with the steps Joshua Kimmich has made, for example. As a sportsman you’re always thinking of the next challenge, creating new goals for yourself and working out how to achieve them. Therefore my focus quickly switched from the 2014 championship to the current team and how we could qualify for Greece.
DFB.de: Qualification couldn’t have gone better.
Sorg: That’s right. Only one of four strong teams progresses from the second qualification round, which turns every game into a final. In our last game against the Czech Republic we had to win by a big margin to go through. The way the team dealt with the pressure during that game was remarkable. Also the fact that they didn’t let off until the end – that says a lot about the mentality of the team. By winning 6-0 we were can honestly say we’ve earned our ticket to Greece.
DFB.de: How have preparations for this championship gone since qualification?
Sorg: Due to the season’s calendar, we weren’t able to have any sort of proper preparations. That game against the Czech Republic was our last game together. After the end of last season, we got the boys together at a week-long training camp in Grassau and studied certain aspects of our game. After that the players went on their well-deserved holiday and our arrival in Greece marks the start of the real work.
DFB.de: With players like Timo Wenter and Leroy Sane, you have players with a lot of Bundesliga experience at your disposal.
Sorg: Yes, this year we’ve got great quality in the squad. The players have all had a really good footballing education and when they also already have Bundesliga experience it can only help. Individual class only helps further if you can bring that to the table and if everyone works for each other. Only then can we be successful as a team.
DFB.de: You’re up against some really strong opposition. With Spain, Holland and Russia, whose current team won the U17 EUROs, you’re in a very tough group.
Sorg: It’s true, our opponents are all top teams and every player will have to play at their best level. It will be tight up until the end. We’ll go into the games with the full of respect, but also full of confidence.
DFB.de: Is a title defence possible?
Sorg: Of course it’s possible. That’s still a long way off, however. We’ve already achieved one goal by qualifying for the competition. The next three steps are Spain, Holland and Russia. After those games, we’ll see where we are.
