Matthias Sammer, the DFB Technical Director, speaks about the UEFA U17 European Championships, which start today in Belgium. Playing sweeper for the Mannschaft, Sammer won the European Championships in 1996. Also in 1996, he was voted “Europe’s Football Player of the Year”. Sammer joined the DFB as the association’s Technical Director in April 2006.
Question: Mr. Sammer, how far can Germany go at the UEFA European Championships in Belgium?
Matthias Sammer: First of all, I applaud our U17 coaches and players for reaching this level. We belong to Europe’s best eight teams, which is quite an accomplishment and an important experience for all our young players. Because of their solid performance during the qualification, expectations now are very high.
Question: You expect nothing less than the title?
Sammer: Any team wearing the eagle emblem on the jersey wants to win the tournament. Then again, the growth of each individual player is our priority. But that does not contradict our performance oriented approach.
Question: Do you foresee a negative reaction by the German U17 because of the high expectations? Could they crumble under this pressure?
Sammer: We have tried to set-up ideal practice conditions for them. We all know, that you can expect highs and lows in juniors’ football. Success does not overrule other important considerations at this level, such as resting an injured player. We cannot run any young guy into the ground.
Question: The DFB would certainly enjoy winning the title at the U17 European Championship, as this would stand for the overall improvement. The U21 and the juniors teams have been successful for quite some time now.
Sammer: True enough. It’s really disappointing that German juniors have not won a title for such a long time.
Question: What are the effects of winning a major international tournament for the individual player?
Sammer: I cannot overemphasise this aspect. Winning the U18 European Championships with the GDR in 1986 really was a major milestone for me. It boosts your self-confidence, it shows you that goals can be reached. Winning the title, however, carries the danger of complacency. If the young player avoids that trap, winning a European Championship can be great for his development.
For further information on the U17, please click here.
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Matthias Sammer, the DFB Technical Director, speaks about the UEFA U17 European Championships, which start today in Belgium. Playing sweeper for the Mannschaft, Sammer won the European Championships in 1996. Also in 1996, he was voted “Europe’s Football Player of the Year”. Sammer joined the DFB as the association’s Technical Director in April 2006.
Question: Mr. Sammer, how far can Germany go at the UEFA European Championships in Belgium?
Matthias Sammer: First of all, I applaud our U17 coaches and players for reaching this level. We belong to Europe’s best eight teams, which is quite an accomplishment and an important experience for all our young players. Because of their solid performance during the qualification, expectations now are very high.
Question: You expect nothing less than the title?
Sammer: Any team wearing the eagle emblem on the jersey wants to win the tournament. Then again, the growth of each individual player is our priority. But that does not contradict our performance oriented approach.
Question: Do you foresee a negative reaction by the German U17 because of the high expectations? Could they crumble under this pressure?
Sammer: We have tried to set-up ideal practice conditions for them. We all know, that you can expect highs and lows in juniors’ football. Success does not overrule other important considerations at this level, such as resting an injured player. We cannot run any young guy into the ground.
Question: The DFB would certainly enjoy winning the title at the U17 European Championship, as this would stand for the overall improvement. The U21 and the juniors teams have been successful for quite some time now.
Sammer: True enough. It’s really disappointing that German juniors have not won a title for such a long time.
Question: What are the effects of winning a major international tournament for the individual player?
Sammer: I cannot overemphasise this aspect. Winning the U18 European Championships with the GDR in 1986 really was a major milestone for me. It boosts your self-confidence, it shows you that goals can be reached. Winning the title, however, carries the danger of complacency. If the young player avoids that trap, winning a European Championship can be great for his development.
For further information on the U17, please click here.
