...Horst Hrubesch: We can all still learn a lot from him due to his experience. He talks a lot with us players.
...Philipp Hofmann: "Hoffi" is good for our game, as he can receive the ball and hold it up or shield it from the opposition.
...Marc-André ter Stegen: He was heavily congratulated by all of us. It's great for him, that he has already achieved so much in Barcelona.
...his role as the captain: I was captain for one season while playing for 1860 München's U19 side. Apart from that I haven’t been the captain before. It's obviously something that you have to grow into. But our coach has given me this special responsibility and I obviously want to live up to it.
...the training programme away from the pitch: We have a very strict time schedule. Once the games begin, we will have a constant rhythm. Some will take afternoon naps, while others meet in the Players’ Lounge. We won't get bored.
Robin Knoche on...
...his first impressions: The first thing we did was inspect our training pitch. All the Hotel facilities are great. It's a good place to prepare for the tournament.
...the potential qualification for the Olympics: Obviously it would be special if we were to qualify for the Olympic Games. It's something that very few people get to experience. But our main concern is definitely the European Championship. Everything else will have to be considered afterwards.
...the Cup victory with Wolfsburg: It was a special experience. Winning a title definitely makes you hungry for more. I wouldn’t mind at all, if the same happened with the U21 side.
The first official DFB press conference concerning the U21 national team at the 2015 European Championships in the Czech Republic (June 17th-30th) took place on Sunday afternoon in the team’s hotel in Prague. The tournament is set to kick off next Wednesday for the DFB team when they face Serbia (20:45 CEST). Kevin Volland and Robin Knoche answered the questions asked by the media representatives; DFB.de collected their statements.
Kevin Volland on...
...their surprise in the hotel: It was a very nice surprise. We received letters from our home clubs. They told us that they were proud of us. It was a very nice gesture, especially because all of us have always dreamed of taking part in tournaments like this.
...potential Olympic qualification: The Olympic Games are an extraordinary occasion. But fact is that we have to focus on the games at the EURO first.
...their group opponents: Outsiders might say that our group is not as tough, but I expect three extremely difficult and uncomfortable opponents. We have to approach our first game as if it was the final.
...the public presence: Since the start of the qualification campaign for the European Championships, we have been receiving more attention. We have a good squad and the media coverage has increased. This is a good stage for us to present ourselves and we obviously want to show good performances.
...three games in six days: Every player will be extremely important. We worked very hard in our Austrian training camp and spoke a lot about tactics. We now had three days to calm down again. We are top fit and in a good rhythm.
...the Women's World Cup and its media presence: Obviously we want to convince viewers to watch our games as well. If we find the time, we will certainly watch the Women's World Cup and support our team.
...Horst Hrubesch: We can all still learn a lot from him due to his experience. He talks a lot with us players.
...Philipp Hofmann: "Hoffi" is good for our game, as he can receive the ball and hold it up or shield it from the opposition.
...Marc-André ter Stegen: He was heavily congratulated by all of us. It's great for him, that he has already achieved so much in Barcelona.
...his role as the captain: I was captain for one season while playing for 1860 München's U19 side. Apart from that I haven’t been the captain before. It's obviously something that you have to grow into. But our coach has given me this special responsibility and I obviously want to live up to it.
...the training programme away from the pitch: We have a very strict time schedule. Once the games begin, we will have a constant rhythm. Some will take afternoon naps, while others meet in the Players’ Lounge. We won't get bored.
Robin Knoche on...
...his first impressions: The first thing we did was inspect our training pitch. All the Hotel facilities are great. It's a good place to prepare for the tournament.
...the potential qualification for the Olympics: Obviously it would be special if we were to qualify for the Olympic Games. It's something that very few people get to experience. But our main concern is definitely the European Championship. Everything else will have to be considered afterwards.
...the Cup victory with Wolfsburg: It was a special experience. Winning a title definitely makes you hungry for more. I wouldn’t mind at all, if the same happened with the U21 side.
...three games in six days: We often played every three days last season and managed to keep our rhythm. It's not necessarily a disadvantage. We should approach this task with positive anticipation.
...the Women's World Cup and its media presence: It should always be the target, to convince the viewers to watch with good performances. A goal that the entire team has. If we find the time to watch, we will.
...Horst Hrubesch: On the one hand he has so much to offer to us with his experience and he really does talk a lot with each individual player. On the other hand he also gives us our own responsibilities, which are important for the individual development.
