EURO 2012 will be officially declared open on Friday with two Group A matches, while Group B is going to join in the action a day later. DFB.de writer Steffen Lüdeke spoke to Germany assistant coach Hansi Flick about the current state of affairs in the German camp.
team.dfb.de: Hansi Flick, it won’t be long now before EURO 2012 kicks off for Germany. In how far can pre-tournament tension be felt on the training pitch?
Hansi Flick: Yes, we’re all focussing on the match against Portugal now, and yes, we’ve had some pretty intense training sessions since we arrived here in Poland, but that doesn’t mean we’re abandoning our philosophy of trying to keep things relaxed and hassle-free.
team.dfb.de: How important is it for you to keep up the smiles?
Flick: Very much so, and we’re lucky to have a number of players on board who like horsing around. The good thing, though, is they know when it’s time to concentrate on the task ahead. And a good coach should know a thing or two about keeping that balance.
team.dfb.de: We can observe the team preparing every day on the training field. But preparations have started much earlier, haven’t they?
Flick: That’s correct. When the qualifying competition started two years ago, we asked “Team Cologne”, a group of students at the German Sports University, to gather as many data as possible about as many participating teams as possible. Obviously, that was later narrowed down to the 15 teams that have made it to the finals, with particular emphasis on our group opponents. Chief scout Urs Siegenthaler, for example, travelled to quite a number of games in Portugal, both national team and league matches.
team.dfb.de: You’ve done your fair share of match observations yourself…
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EURO 2012 will be officially declared open on Friday with two Group A matches, while Group B is going to join in the action a day later. DFB.de writer Steffen Lüdeke spoke to Germany assistant coach Hansi Flick about the current state of affairs in the German camp.
team.dfb.de: Hansi Flick, it won’t be long now before EURO 2012 kicks off for Germany. In how far can pre-tournament tension be felt on the training pitch?
Hansi Flick: Yes, we’re all focussing on the match against Portugal now, and yes, we’ve had some pretty intense training sessions since we arrived here in Poland, but that doesn’t mean we’re abandoning our philosophy of trying to keep things relaxed and hassle-free.
team.dfb.de: How important is it for you to keep up the smiles?
Flick: Very much so, and we’re lucky to have a number of players on board who like horsing around. The good thing, though, is they know when it’s time to concentrate on the task ahead. And a good coach should know a thing or two about keeping that balance.
team.dfb.de: We can observe the team preparing every day on the training field. But preparations have started much earlier, haven’t they?
Flick: That’s correct. When the qualifying competition started two years ago, we asked “Team Cologne”, a group of students at the German Sports University, to gather as many data as possible about as many participating teams as possible. Obviously, that was later narrowed down to the 15 teams that have made it to the finals, with particular emphasis on our group opponents. Chief scout Urs Siegenthaler, for example, travelled to quite a number of games in Portugal, both national team and league matches.
team.dfb.de: You’ve done your fair share of match observations yourself…
Flick: Yes, I saw Chelsea FC play on various occasions, just to learn about Raul Meireles, and I went to several Real Madrid matches to check out not just “CR7” but also Pepe and Fábio Coentrão. So we have quite a comprehensive body of information available about our group opponents’ characteristics and qualities.
team.dfb.de: You’ve already mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal’s key figure. Is there any way you can clip his wings?
Flick: Ronaldo is a truly exceptional player, very dangerous in front of goal and always able to decide a game. His goal-scoring record is impressive, so we’ve got to defend him well. In one-on-one situations, he’s going to try and unhinge you with his tricks, so as a defender you should keep your eyes on the ball and give him as little space as possible. But that is an all-team effort.
team.dfb.de: Ronaldo’s self-given objective is to become World Footballer of the Year – presumptuousness or healthy ambition?
Flick: The latter, absolutely. I think it’s legitimate for great players to aim high. In the last three years, Lionel Messi took all the praise, and for someone who scores as many goals as Ronaldo to stake his claim is absolutely normal. After all, he’s been World Footballer himself. To outsiders, he may come across as a little vain sometimes, but from what Mesut (Özil) and Sami (Khedira) tell us, you can’t beat his professional attitude and perfect sportsmanship.
team.dfb.de: Have you asked Özil and Khedira about the other Portuguese players at Real Madrid?
Flick: Sure, we’d be stupid not to add their views and experiences to our pool of information. But it also works the other way round, doesn’t it? I’m pretty sure that Paulo Bento asked “his” madrileños about Mesut and Sami…
team.dfb.de: Portugal aren’t just Cristiano Ronaldo. Who else do you rate as dangerous?
Flick: Well, there’s Nani, Moutinho, who’s in command in midfield, not to forget Meireles who ended the season as a regular for Chelsea. In central defence, Pepe is a very dynamic player, and then, of course, there are all those good attackers.
team.dfb.de: In recent history – at the 2006 World Cup and at EURO 2008 – Germany beat Portugal twice. Are there any conclusions to be drawn from that? And how would you assess Portugal’s development since then?
Flick: The only thing that’s relevant for us is the current team, and that seems to be getting into its stride. They beat Spain 4-0 in a friendly, with three goals scored in the second half – that speaks for itself.
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team.dfb.de: But they had a hard time qualifying, only coming second to Denmark and needing the play-offs (against Bosnia-Herzegovina) to proceed to the finals…
Flick: They started out with a 4-4 draw against Cyprus, then lost 0-1 to Norway, after which the Federation hired a new coach, Paulo Bento. He’s given the players the stability they need for their forward-oriented style of play. The players are well attuned to each other, and after winning possession will find a way of passing the ball to Nani or Ronaldo, both of whom instinctively move into space and have a fine nose for goal, too.
team.dfb.de: Their latest warm-up matches weren’t overly convincing, though – a goal-less draw against Macedonia, a 1-3 defeat to Turkey…
Flick: Yes, but that’s what preparation matches are for – checking your own form and making adjustments where necessary. Portugal are a very self-assured team, with players who know what they’re doing. It goes without saying that any coach would prefer his team to present itself convincingly at all times, but the first “real” EURO match is when it really counts.
