No Alpe d‘Huez, no prologue, no individual time trial or green jersey. But yet, a Tour de France, or more accurately: Tour de Français. "La Mannschaft" are talking French aujourd'hui, kind of. Today, in the fifth leg: Lukas Podolski and his very special DFB.de vocabulary test.
RENDEZ-VOUS Which team would you most like to face at some point in the tournament?
I really don’t mind. I want to be a European champion, and for me, it is really not important which teams we have to beat on our way to achieving this.
DÉJÀ-VU Do you still remember your first trip to France?
It must have been during an international match. We played in the Stade de France with Germany in late 2005, 0-0 – I think. Before that, I had never been to France. With us footballers, it is very often the case that we get to know many places through football. For me, France was exactly the same. Since then I have been on holiday there once.
RIEN NE VA PLUS What do you do in the last few minutes and seconds before a match?
Left boot first or kissing a good luck charm – I don’t have these kind of pre-match rituals. Just before the match begins, the manager makes one more small speech, then we exchange high fives and encouragements. And then we head out.
AU REVOIR How difficult is it for you to say goodbye to home before the tournament?
It is not easy – especially if you have a family, wife and kids. It is difficult to explain to your son that Papa is going to be away from home for four, five, six weeks.
HOMMAGE Which French player have you always particularly admired?
From the team who became 1998 world champions and 2000 European champions, there are a few players to pick. Thierry Henry – and above all, Zinedine Zidane.
created by mmc/mb
No Alpe d‘Huez, no prologue, no individual time trial or green jersey. But yet, a Tour de France, or more accurately: Tour de Français. "La Mannschaft" are talking French aujourd'hui, kind of. Today, in the fifth leg: Lukas Podolski and his very special DFB.de vocabulary test.
RENDEZ-VOUS Which team would you most like to face at some point in the tournament?
I really don’t mind. I want to be a European champion, and for me, it is really not important which teams we have to beat on our way to achieving this.
DÉJÀ-VU Do you still remember your first trip to France?
It must have been during an international match. We played in the Stade de France with Germany in late 2005, 0-0 – I think. Before that, I had never been to France. With us footballers, it is very often the case that we get to know many places through football. For me, France was exactly the same. Since then I have been on holiday there once.
RIEN NE VA PLUS What do you do in the last few minutes and seconds before a match?
Left boot first or kissing a good luck charm – I don’t have these kind of pre-match rituals. Just before the match begins, the manager makes one more small speech, then we exchange high fives and encouragements. And then we head out.
AU REVOIR How difficult is it for you to say goodbye to home before the tournament?
It is not easy – especially if you have a family, wife and kids. It is difficult to explain to your son that Papa is going to be away from home for four, five, six weeks.
HOMMAGE Which French player have you always particularly admired?
From the team who became 1998 world champions and 2000 European champions, there are a few players to pick. Thierry Henry – and above all, Zinedine Zidane.
