Germany put in a respectable performance after the disappointing home loss to Japan and the consequent dismissal of former head coach Hansi Flick. Interim head coach Rudi Völler’s team impressed against World Cup runners-up France and secured a well-earned 2-1 victory in Dortmund. Here’s what Völler had to say about the game in the post-match interview.
DFB.de: Rudi, the energy the team showed today was encouraging. What aspect of the performance were you most happy with?
Rudi Völler: The early goal. You can’t ask for a better start as a coach. It meant that we didn’t run the risk of being caught on the counter. We played really good football in the first half hour. It got a bit hectic after that, but we fought for the win. It’s not so much about the result as the way we played.
DFB.de: Has the victory changed your mind about not continuing as head coach?
Völler: The result hasn’t changed anything. It’s clearly the right decision for me. The past few days have been very stressful.
DFB.de: You went to bed as Germany head coach, but woke up as the sporting director. How are you planning on finding a new head coach now?
Völler: I’ve already spoken with DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and also with vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke, and we’ve made plans to have a meeting at some point over the new few days. I’m hoping that we’ll have a new head coach by the start of the next international break in October.
DFB.de: Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger speak highly of Louis van Gaal. Is he a potential candidate?
Völler: I don’t want to give rise to speculation. Discussing possible candidates is a pointless exercise. The most important thing is that the Germany head coach should be able to speak German. That’s the basic requirement. He also needs to be one of the best in the business.
DFB.de: Will you listen to what the players have to say while you’re looking for a coach?
Völler: I’d like to stay in contact with a few of the players. I’ll give one or two of them a call.
DFB.de: Looking ahead to the Euros, will Thomas Müller have an important role to play in light of his performance against France?
Völler: He was picked for a reason. The past few days haven’t been easy for the players. Thomas isn’t just a model player; he’s also a great guy. He tells the other players what to do, but he also leads by example on the pitch and does what it takes to win.
DFB.de: Are you still in touch with Hansi Flick?
Völler: We spoke before the game and he congratulated me afterwards. I’m going to call him on Wednesday. Selecting Pascal Groß, who isn’t a household name in Germany, was a fantastic decision on his part, as Pascal had a great game.
DFB.de: Jonathan Tah also played well. Do you want to send out the message that Germany need to start playing more defensively solid football again?
Völler: That’s something that the new head coach will need to decide, but it varies from opponent to opponent. Sometimes that’s just the way you have to approach the game. I knew that Jonathan Tah has what it takes to play this way and he did an excellent job. This decision proved to be highly effective.
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Germany put in a respectable performance after the disappointing home loss to Japan and the consequent dismissal of former head coach Hansi Flick. Interim head coach Rudi Völler’s team impressed against World Cup runners-up France and secured a well-earned 2-1 victory in Dortmund. Here’s what Völler had to say about the game in the post-match interview.
DFB.de: Rudi, the energy the team showed today was encouraging. What aspect of the performance were you most happy with?
Rudi Völler: The early goal. You can’t ask for a better start as a coach. It meant that we didn’t run the risk of being caught on the counter. We played really good football in the first half hour. It got a bit hectic after that, but we fought for the win. It’s not so much about the result as the way we played.
DFB.de: Has the victory changed your mind about not continuing as head coach?
Völler: The result hasn’t changed anything. It’s clearly the right decision for me. The past few days have been very stressful.
DFB.de: You went to bed as Germany head coach, but woke up as the sporting director. How are you planning on finding a new head coach now?
Völler: I’ve already spoken with DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and also with vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke, and we’ve made plans to have a meeting at some point over the new few days. I’m hoping that we’ll have a new head coach by the start of the next international break in October.
DFB.de: Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger speak highly of Louis van Gaal. Is he a potential candidate?
Völler: I don’t want to give rise to speculation. Discussing possible candidates is a pointless exercise. The most important thing is that the Germany head coach should be able to speak German. That’s the basic requirement. He also needs to be one of the best in the business.
DFB.de: Will you listen to what the players have to say while you’re looking for a coach?
Völler: I’d like to stay in contact with a few of the players. I’ll give one or two of them a call.
DFB.de: Looking ahead to the Euros, will Thomas Müller have an important role to play in light of his performance against France?
Völler: He was picked for a reason. The past few days haven’t been easy for the players. Thomas isn’t just a model player; he’s also a great guy. He tells the other players what to do, but he also leads by example on the pitch and does what it takes to win.
DFB.de: Are you still in touch with Hansi Flick?
Völler: We spoke before the game and he congratulated me afterwards. I’m going to call him on Wednesday. Selecting Pascal Groß, who isn’t a household name in Germany, was a fantastic decision on his part, as Pascal had a great game.
DFB.de: Jonathan Tah also played well. Do you want to send out the message that Germany need to start playing more defensively solid football again?
Völler: That’s something that the new head coach will need to decide, but it varies from opponent to opponent. Sometimes that’s just the way you have to approach the game. I knew that Jonathan Tah has what it takes to play this way and he did an excellent job. This decision proved to be highly effective.
