Florian Neuhaus took home a silver medal with Germany at the U21 EUROs two years ago. Now, the midfielder is looking forward to his first European Championship with the senior national team. In an interview with DFB.de editor Tobias Gonscherowski, the 24-year-old spoke about his goals for the tournament, personal setbacks and his potential for improvement.
DFB.de: Florian Neuhaus, EURO 2020 is fast approaching. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was postponed by a year. Do you see that as a bit of a lucky break for you? After all, you likely wouldn’t have been part of the squad a year ago…
Florian Neuhaus: A little bit, yes. Last year I definitely wasn’t thinking about it too much. This is the reality now. Generally speaking, I’m someone who takes things as they come. Now, I’m looking forward to this tournament and I’m hoping that we will be able to play in front of the fans as well.
DFB.de: You were able to pick up some major tournament experience two years ago with the U21s, as you finished runners-up. This time around will certainly be a step up, with the senior side, right?
Neuhaus: Exactly. Two years ago, the U21 EUROs were an incredible experience. We played well in my opinion and were unlucky to lose to Spain in the final. Of course the EUROs with the senior side will be a different experience and something very special for me.
DFB.de: How in form do you feel at the moment?
Neuhaus: We’ve gone through a few dips in form at Borussia Mönchengladbach recently. Personally, I feel good and I’m healthy. I’m in the groove and I think that I’m in good form at the moment.
DFB.de: Despite the many games across all competitions this season, you barely had any breaks. You missed just one game in the Bundesliga thanks to a yellow-card suspension. What’s the secret behind your fitness?
Neuhaus: I think that it’s important to keep an eye on your body and to know what’s good for you. This season, I’ve really felt the trust of our head coach Marco Rose. That’s been good for me. I’m happy to have featured in many games.
DFB.de: Looking at the nine yellows you’ve picked up in the Bundesliga this season, it’s possible to assume that you’re the kind of player to get stuck in.
Neuhaus: That’s part of playing my position in defensive midfield. Winning challenges is something that I still need to improve on, however, in order to become a more well-rounded player. I also have to impact the game from my position, but tackling is something I also can’t avoid.
DFB.de: Did you have a favourite player in your position as a kid?
Neuhaus: Not really, there were several players that I liked. I really enjoyed watching attacking players such as Diego, Mesut Özil and Kevin de Bruyne. Also, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric because of the way they were up front.
DFB.de: How satisfied are you with the results on the pitch this season?
Neuhaus: I’m on the fence a little. At Borussia, we had several good games in the Bundesliga and Champions League. We made it out of a tough group. But, we also dropped points when we shouldn’t have several times in the league. Especially after we took the lead, we rarely managed to stay dominant enough to add a second or third goal. That’s evident when you look at the table.
DFB.de: Your career has seen a steady rise so far. There have been the occasional set-back, like the 6-0 defeat to Spain or the 6-0 loss to Bayern. How long did it take you to process these heavy defeats?
Neuhaus: Defeats like that are part of football. It definitely shouldn’t happen, but it does sometimes. I can handle that and move on. We analysed the games, drew the right conclusions and will hopefully not make the same mistakes in the future. The nice thing about football is that there’s always another game. You have the chance to make up for it the following weekend.
DFB.de: You’ve been part of the national team since autumn 2020. Do you feel as though you’re a key part of the squad now?
Neuhaus: I’ve been part of the team since September and feel good here. There’s a real positive atmosphere going, that will surely be different during a tournament than during a normal international break. We will grow even closer as a team. We have several talented players. I’m always excited to be surrounded by the best players. I’m able to soak everything up and learn a lot. I’ve been able to make my first starts and have been able to show what I can do. Everything else will come from that.
DFB.de: Your last match with Germany was the defeat to North Macedonia. Has that killed the mood a bit going into the preparations now?
Neuhaus: Everyone had expected that game to go differently. We played well in both games before, and there was progress made. But, games like the one against North Macedonia are part of the process. It won’t be the end of us. In fact, maybe this game and the result came at the right time. I think that it won’t be an issue anymore. We want to be positive and prepare ourselves for the upcoming tasks.
DFB.de: What’s your relationship like with head coach Joachim Löw?
Neuhaus: I have a good relationship with the head coach. Since I’ve been with the team, we’ve had a couple of individual discussions. The relationship he has to the players is one of his strengths. I always feel at home when I’m with the team and can feel the trust from the coach.
DFB.de: Germany are in a group with world champions France, European champions Portugal, and Hungary. You couldn’t have picked a tougher group.
Neuhaus: We’re up against some tough sides right from the start, and will have to be at our best against all of them. But, that can also be a good thing, as you’ll know right away where you stand.
DFB.de: What are your goals at the EUROs? Do you believe you can win it all?
Neuhaus: Yes. We’re all athletes and have ambitious goals. We know that we’re in a tough group. But, anything can happen at the EUROs. We’re going to the tournament with the aim of being as successful as possible.
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Florian Neuhaus took home a silver medal with Germany at the U21 EUROs two years ago. Now, the midfielder is looking forward to his first European Championship with the senior national team. In an interview with DFB.de editor Tobias Gonscherowski, the 24-year-old spoke about his goals for the tournament, personal setbacks and his potential for improvement.
DFB.de: Florian Neuhaus, EURO 2020 is fast approaching. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was postponed by a year. Do you see that as a bit of a lucky break for you? After all, you likely wouldn’t have been part of the squad a year ago…
Florian Neuhaus: A little bit, yes. Last year I definitely wasn’t thinking about it too much. This is the reality now. Generally speaking, I’m someone who takes things as they come. Now, I’m looking forward to this tournament and I’m hoping that we will be able to play in front of the fans as well.
DFB.de: You were able to pick up some major tournament experience two years ago with the U21s, as you finished runners-up. This time around will certainly be a step up, with the senior side, right?
Neuhaus: Exactly. Two years ago, the U21 EUROs were an incredible experience. We played well in my opinion and were unlucky to lose to Spain in the final. Of course the EUROs with the senior side will be a different experience and something very special for me.
DFB.de: How in form do you feel at the moment?
Neuhaus: We’ve gone through a few dips in form at Borussia Mönchengladbach recently. Personally, I feel good and I’m healthy. I’m in the groove and I think that I’m in good form at the moment.
DFB.de: Despite the many games across all competitions this season, you barely had any breaks. You missed just one game in the Bundesliga thanks to a yellow-card suspension. What’s the secret behind your fitness?
Neuhaus: I think that it’s important to keep an eye on your body and to know what’s good for you. This season, I’ve really felt the trust of our head coach Marco Rose. That’s been good for me. I’m happy to have featured in many games.
DFB.de: Looking at the nine yellows you’ve picked up in the Bundesliga this season, it’s possible to assume that you’re the kind of player to get stuck in.
Neuhaus: That’s part of playing my position in defensive midfield. Winning challenges is something that I still need to improve on, however, in order to become a more well-rounded player. I also have to impact the game from my position, but tackling is something I also can’t avoid.
DFB.de: Did you have a favourite player in your position as a kid?
Neuhaus: Not really, there were several players that I liked. I really enjoyed watching attacking players such as Diego, Mesut Özil and Kevin de Bruyne. Also, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric because of the way they were up front.
DFB.de: How satisfied are you with the results on the pitch this season?
Neuhaus: I’m on the fence a little. At Borussia, we had several good games in the Bundesliga and Champions League. We made it out of a tough group. But, we also dropped points when we shouldn’t have several times in the league. Especially after we took the lead, we rarely managed to stay dominant enough to add a second or third goal. That’s evident when you look at the table.
DFB.de: Your career has seen a steady rise so far. There have been the occasional set-back, like the 6-0 defeat to Spain or the 6-0 loss to Bayern. How long did it take you to process these heavy defeats?
Neuhaus: Defeats like that are part of football. It definitely shouldn’t happen, but it does sometimes. I can handle that and move on. We analysed the games, drew the right conclusions and will hopefully not make the same mistakes in the future. The nice thing about football is that there’s always another game. You have the chance to make up for it the following weekend.
DFB.de: You’ve been part of the national team since autumn 2020. Do you feel as though you’re a key part of the squad now?
Neuhaus: I’ve been part of the team since September and feel good here. There’s a real positive atmosphere going, that will surely be different during a tournament than during a normal international break. We will grow even closer as a team. We have several talented players. I’m always excited to be surrounded by the best players. I’m able to soak everything up and learn a lot. I’ve been able to make my first starts and have been able to show what I can do. Everything else will come from that.
DFB.de: Your last match with Germany was the defeat to North Macedonia. Has that killed the mood a bit going into the preparations now?
Neuhaus: Everyone had expected that game to go differently. We played well in both games before, and there was progress made. But, games like the one against North Macedonia are part of the process. It won’t be the end of us. In fact, maybe this game and the result came at the right time. I think that it won’t be an issue anymore. We want to be positive and prepare ourselves for the upcoming tasks.
DFB.de: What’s your relationship like with head coach Joachim Löw?
Neuhaus: I have a good relationship with the head coach. Since I’ve been with the team, we’ve had a couple of individual discussions. The relationship he has to the players is one of his strengths. I always feel at home when I’m with the team and can feel the trust from the coach.
DFB.de: Germany are in a group with world champions France, European champions Portugal, and Hungary. You couldn’t have picked a tougher group.
Neuhaus: We’re up against some tough sides right from the start, and will have to be at our best against all of them. But, that can also be a good thing, as you’ll know right away where you stand.
DFB.de: What are your goals at the EUROs? Do you believe you can win it all?
Neuhaus: Yes. We’re all athletes and have ambitious goals. We know that we’re in a tough group. But, anything can happen at the EUROs. We’re going to the tournament with the aim of being as successful as possible.
