Hany Mukhtar impressed as the Germany U20s drew 1-1 with their Swiss counterparts on Wednesday. He also grabbed the DFB Team’s solitary goal. They return to action against the same opponents on Saturday (16:00 CET) and ahead of that game the RB Salzburg midfielder spoke to DFB.de about recent matches, his performances and his role within the team.
DFB.de: Mr. Mukhtar, you scored on Wednesday but the game ended level. What was missing?
Hany Mukhtar: We needed to be more clinical and push for a second goal. We conceded an unlucky equaliser.
DFB.de: Frank Wormuth said you were the best player on the pitch. What did you make of your performance?
Mukhtar: I’d say it was ok but I’m not overly focussed on myself because we didn’t win the match. I’m happy when we win and less so when we don’t.
DFB.de: You have responsibility with the U20s, including penalty duty. How important is that for your development?
Mukhtar: I felt good, was confident and converted the penalty. I like to help the team progress, so it was great to see it go in. It’s also good for the confidence.
DFB.de: Max Christiansen and Nadiem Amiri have recently leaped into the U21 squad – do you have similar aspirations?
Mukhtar: For sure. That’s why we’re playing at this level though – when we impress sufficiently, we’ll make the climb. It’s good for your development as a player. It’s an important step.
DFB.de: Gianluca Gaudino, Lucas Cueto and Felix Platte made their first U20 appearances recently. How does the squad rotation work on a practical level?
Mukhtar: It works well and doesn’t affect us to be honest. A couple of the lads know each other from club level anyway, which makes the integration process easier. We don’t have any special initiations or anything either, which means that the new lads aren’t under stress when they arrive for the first time.
DFB.de: You’ve already played in three of Europe’s top divisions. Does this international experience help when it comes to playing for the national side?
Mukhtar: It’s positive for sure because playing abroad broadens your horizons and makes you a better footballer, however, I’m not too sure whether that influences my performances on an international level though.
DFB.de: You’ve come off the bench for RB Salzburg quite frequently of late, so how important was it to play a full game again?
Mukhtar: It was definitely an important step. It was a good test of my fitness. I felt good after the match.
DFB.de: What positives can you take from Wednesday’s match going into Saturday’s second fixture against the Swiss?
Mukhtar: We didn’t play well and I think that we’ll stick to our principles again. I think we can beat them. Obviously, we want to win every game and I think that we can manage that on Saturday.
DFB.de: You’re loan spell in Salzburg ends at the end of the season. What are your goals for the future?
Mukhtar: I’m taking it step by step. Firstly I want to do well with the U20s and then get some more game time with RB Salzburg. We’ll have to wait and see though because things can change quickly in football.
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Hany Mukhtar impressed as the Germany U20s drew 1-1 with their Swiss counterparts on Wednesday. He also grabbed the DFB Team’s solitary goal. They return to action against the same opponents on Saturday (16:00 CET) and ahead of that game the RB Salzburg midfielder spoke to DFB.de about recent matches, his performances and his role within the team.
DFB.de: Mr. Mukhtar, you scored on Wednesday but the game ended level. What was missing?
Hany Mukhtar: We needed to be more clinical and push for a second goal. We conceded an unlucky equaliser.
DFB.de: Frank Wormuth said you were the best player on the pitch. What did you make of your performance?
Mukhtar: I’d say it was ok but I’m not overly focussed on myself because we didn’t win the match. I’m happy when we win and less so when we don’t.
DFB.de: You have responsibility with the U20s, including penalty duty. How important is that for your development?
Mukhtar: I felt good, was confident and converted the penalty. I like to help the team progress, so it was great to see it go in. It’s also good for the confidence.
DFB.de: Max Christiansen and Nadiem Amiri have recently leaped into the U21 squad – do you have similar aspirations?
Mukhtar: For sure. That’s why we’re playing at this level though – when we impress sufficiently, we’ll make the climb. It’s good for your development as a player. It’s an important step.
DFB.de: Gianluca Gaudino, Lucas Cueto and Felix Platte made their first U20 appearances recently. How does the squad rotation work on a practical level?
Mukhtar: It works well and doesn’t affect us to be honest. A couple of the lads know each other from club level anyway, which makes the integration process easier. We don’t have any special initiations or anything either, which means that the new lads aren’t under stress when they arrive for the first time.
DFB.de: You’ve already played in three of Europe’s top divisions. Does this international experience help when it comes to playing for the national side?
Mukhtar: It’s positive for sure because playing abroad broadens your horizons and makes you a better footballer, however, I’m not too sure whether that influences my performances on an international level though.
DFB.de: You’ve come off the bench for RB Salzburg quite frequently of late, so how important was it to play a full game again?
Mukhtar: It was definitely an important step. It was a good test of my fitness. I felt good after the match.
DFB.de: What positives can you take from Wednesday’s match going into Saturday’s second fixture against the Swiss?
Mukhtar: We didn’t play well and I think that we’ll stick to our principles again. I think we can beat them. Obviously, we want to win every game and I think that we can manage that on Saturday.
DFB.de: You’re loan spell in Salzburg ends at the end of the season. What are your goals for the future?
Mukhtar: I’m taking it step by step. Firstly I want to do well with the U20s and then get some more game time with RB Salzburg. We’ll have to wait and see though because things can change quickly in football.
