After a comfortable win over in the opening game of EURO 2024, Manuel Neuer and Germany now turn their attentions to Wednesday’s meeting with Hungary (18:00 CEST). Speaking to the press ahead of the match, Neuer warned against complacency and talked about his role as a senior member of the squad.
Manuel Neuer on…
… recovery after the win against Scotland: We had a day off after the game – we were just able to do our own thing in the gym. There was also time for us to watch the other games going on. We’ve been able to see our upcoming opponents in the game between them and Switzerland, and we’ve already drawn some initial conclusions. Yesterday we had our first pre-match meeting ahead of playing Hungary, and since then our focus has been on Stuttgart and the match.
… experience in major tournaments: I’ve experienced a lot over the years with Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller. We’ve had both good and bad opening games in our last few tournaments. We won 4-0 in 2014, and the opposition got a red card that day, too. We were able to dominate throughout against Scotland, but we didn’t let ourselves get complacent. What I thought was good was that we were angry about conceding even though we were well in front, because it’s not all about scoring goals – we have to be solid at the back as well.
… Hungary: They’re a tough side to play against. They try to fight for every loose ball. That means we can’t underestimate them and we have to maintain our rhythm. We’re full of confidence after our first game, but Hungary will be a different sort of challenge. The Swiss broke through them several times and scored goals, but Hungary also had phases of pressure, and were close to scoring a few of their own.
… the four-man goalkeeping team: It’s important for the team to have cohesion in every position. We have quality across the pitch, with great players everywhere. Discussions about individual positions aren’t helpful for us. It’s fun to train with a group because it helps you to push each other. Reichert has a great character and he fits perfectly into the team. He’s a good player and very helpful to have around. When we’re recovering after games, he plays in goal for the substitutes’ training session, and has a lot of fun doing it.
… his changed role in the build-up play because of Kroos: You can always pass to Toni because he always wants the ball. That wasn’t any different with Rüdiger though. It’s important that we don’t hide away, that we have good positioning and always want the ball.
… the age distribution in the team: The younger players have a lot of potential, but the older players aren’t all at their final tournament. You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not always about age – it’s more about whether you’re going to be able to perform. I don’t think we’ll have to substitute anyone at half time because they can’t take any more. I see a lot of potential in our combination of younger and older players. I also like to have conversations with the younger players, because they’re different to how I talk with Müller or Kroos.
… his discussions with Nagelsmann during the game: I want to be a mouthpiece for the coach, because he can’t always communicate with everyone during the game. I try to get what the coach says through to the players so that we can improve.
After a comfortable win over in the opening game of EURO 2024, Manuel Neuer and Germany now turn their attentions to Wednesday’s meeting with Hungary (18:00 CEST). Speaking to the press ahead of the match, Neuer warned against complacency and talked about his role as a senior member of the squad.
Manuel Neuer on…
… recovery after the win against Scotland: We had a day off after the game – we were just able to do our own thing in the gym. There was also time for us to watch the other games going on. We’ve been able to see our upcoming opponents in the game between them and Switzerland, and we’ve already drawn some initial conclusions. Yesterday we had our first pre-match meeting ahead of playing Hungary, and since then our focus has been on Stuttgart and the match.
… experience in major tournaments: I’ve experienced a lot over the years with Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller. We’ve had both good and bad opening games in our last few tournaments. We won 4-0 in 2014, and the opposition got a red card that day, too. We were able to dominate throughout against Scotland, but we didn’t let ourselves get complacent. What I thought was good was that we were angry about conceding even though we were well in front, because it’s not all about scoring goals – we have to be solid at the back as well.
… Hungary: They’re a tough side to play against. They try to fight for every loose ball. That means we can’t underestimate them and we have to maintain our rhythm. We’re full of confidence after our first game, but Hungary will be a different sort of challenge. The Swiss broke through them several times and scored goals, but Hungary also had phases of pressure, and were close to scoring a few of their own.
… the four-man goalkeeping team: It’s important for the team to have cohesion in every position. We have quality across the pitch, with great players everywhere. Discussions about individual positions aren’t helpful for us. It’s fun to train with a group because it helps you to push each other. Reichert has a great character and he fits perfectly into the team. He’s a good player and very helpful to have around. When we’re recovering after games, he plays in goal for the substitutes’ training session, and has a lot of fun doing it.
… his changed role in the build-up play because of Kroos: You can always pass to Toni because he always wants the ball. That wasn’t any different with Rüdiger though. It’s important that we don’t hide away, that we have good positioning and always want the ball.
… the age distribution in the team: The younger players have a lot of potential, but the older players aren’t all at their final tournament. You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not always about age – it’s more about whether you’re going to be able to perform. I don’t think we’ll have to substitute anyone at half time because they can’t take any more. I see a lot of potential in our combination of younger and older players. I also like to have conversations with the younger players, because they’re different to how I talk with Müller or Kroos.
… his discussions with Nagelsmann during the game: I want to be a mouthpiece for the coach, because he can’t always communicate with everyone during the game. I try to get what the coach says through to the players so that we can improve.
… the atmosphere at the EUROs: We can watch the television and get a sense of it. It’s great for us to be playing in the EUROs at home. I’m seeing a lot of positive things and I think we’re on the way to creating an atmosphere like we had at the 2006 World Cup.
