Having overcome France, Germany now face hosts Brazil in their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday (live on ZDF from 22:00 CEST). On the eve of their journey to host city Belo Horizonte, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and assistant coach Hansi Flick faced the media at Die Mannschaft’s Santo André team base. DFB.de brings you the highlights from the press conference.
BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER ON...
... the significance of Tuesday’s semi-final: Of course, the match is extremely important. It’s a great honour and a challenge to play the hosts, but it would have been even better to face Brazil in the final instead.
... the atmosphere within the squad: The mood here is very good; we’re extremely focused on the next game. Naturally we want to win the match, but for that we need total concentration, and we’re building that up all the time.
... the Brazilian team and the absence of Neymar: We’re all very sorry that Neymar can’t play. It’s always best when all the greatest players can line up against each other. However, Neymar’s absence could liberate other players and bind Brazil together as a team. They’ve got two experienced coaches who have already been world champions. I think that to win the title, a team has to have a very intelligent coach, as well as quality players obviously.
... the mood in Brazil: The more experienced you get and the more matches you play, the more a match like this in such a football-mad country draws you in. The people here have an incredible connection with A Seleção; you can really feel that football is the most important thing here. People in this country have welcomed us with a lot of respect and vitality. I hope the mood stays the same when we play against Brazil; I’m sure it will.
... his own energy reserves: The team matters much more than how I’m feeling. We’ve all worked hard and there are no big differences between individual players. I’ve now proven that I can play at a high level again and I’m ready to play for more than 90 minutes if necessary.
... his place on the bench in the opening games: I completely agreed with the coach’s decision; he made the right choice. These matches are utterly draining, so it was ideal for me to see how things went. The atmosphere between us was always good. This tournament isn’t about individuals; it’s about Germany becoming world champions. The team is the most important thing.
... the current team compared with 2010: The team has progressed even further since then. Every individual player has improved with their clubs too, and the variety of good players has increased.
... the depth within the squad: I think it’s a major advantage to have such great options on the bench, especially in these temperatures. In every match we’ve seen what a difference substitutions can make. We’ve always had a strong bench, but this year we can really feel that positive team spirit and that’s exactly what you need to progress.
... your Munich team-mate Dante: I’d love it if he played. We know each other really well and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Of course, he also knows the way we all play – except for Thomas Müller. Even we don’t always know the way he plays (laughs).
... his upcoming 30th birthday: It’s not affecting me at all. 29 is a good age. I’m sure I can play in another World Cup.
HANSI FLICK ON...
... the current squad situation: All 22 available players are fit and healthy. Yesterday we still had a couple of players carrying knocks, but that situation has resolved itself. We’re all looking forward to the semi-final.
... opponents Brazil: Their team has exceptional footballers in its ranks. We expect them to want to compensate for their absent players and excel in Tuesday’s game. They’ve got some fantastic footballers in their squad and they show a lot of aggression and resilience. Neymar’s absence is a loss for Brazil, but there are 200 million fans standing behind their team.
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Having overcome France, Germany now face hosts Brazil in their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday (live on ZDF from 22:00 CEST). On the eve of their journey to host city Belo Horizonte, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and assistant coach Hansi Flick faced the media at Die Mannschaft’s Santo André team base. DFB.de brings you the highlights from the press conference.
BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER ON...
... the significance of Tuesday’s semi-final: Of course, the match is extremely important. It’s a great honour and a challenge to play the hosts, but it would have been even better to face Brazil in the final instead.
... the atmosphere within the squad: The mood here is very good; we’re extremely focused on the next game. Naturally we want to win the match, but for that we need total concentration, and we’re building that up all the time.
... the Brazilian team and the absence of Neymar: We’re all very sorry that Neymar can’t play. It’s always best when all the greatest players can line up against each other. However, Neymar’s absence could liberate other players and bind Brazil together as a team. They’ve got two experienced coaches who have already been world champions. I think that to win the title, a team has to have a very intelligent coach, as well as quality players obviously.
... the mood in Brazil: The more experienced you get and the more matches you play, the more a match like this in such a football-mad country draws you in. The people here have an incredible connection with A Seleção; you can really feel that football is the most important thing here. People in this country have welcomed us with a lot of respect and vitality. I hope the mood stays the same when we play against Brazil; I’m sure it will.
... his own energy reserves: The team matters much more than how I’m feeling. We’ve all worked hard and there are no big differences between individual players. I’ve now proven that I can play at a high level again and I’m ready to play for more than 90 minutes if necessary.
... his place on the bench in the opening games: I completely agreed with the coach’s decision; he made the right choice. These matches are utterly draining, so it was ideal for me to see how things went. The atmosphere between us was always good. This tournament isn’t about individuals; it’s about Germany becoming world champions. The team is the most important thing.
... the current team compared with 2010: The team has progressed even further since then. Every individual player has improved with their clubs too, and the variety of good players has increased.
... the depth within the squad: I think it’s a major advantage to have such great options on the bench, especially in these temperatures. In every match we’ve seen what a difference substitutions can make. We’ve always had a strong bench, but this year we can really feel that positive team spirit and that’s exactly what you need to progress.
... your Munich team-mate Dante: I’d love it if he played. We know each other really well and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Of course, he also knows the way we all play – except for Thomas Müller. Even we don’t always know the way he plays (laughs).
... his upcoming 30th birthday: It’s not affecting me at all. 29 is a good age. I’m sure I can play in another World Cup.
HANSI FLICK ON...
... the current squad situation: All 22 available players are fit and healthy. Yesterday we still had a couple of players carrying knocks, but that situation has resolved itself. We’re all looking forward to the semi-final.
... opponents Brazil: Their team has exceptional footballers in its ranks. We expect them to want to compensate for their absent players and excel in Tuesday’s game. They’ve got some fantastic footballers in their squad and they show a lot of aggression and resilience. Neymar’s absence is a loss for Brazil, but there are 200 million fans standing behind their team.
