Even prior to the European Championship this summer in France, Julian Brandt gathered his first experiences with the DFB Team and now he is back. Since his first appearance, the 20-year-old has helped Germany's Olympic football team to a silver medal in Rio. In this DFB.de interview by editor Stefefn Lüdeke, Brandt talks about his eventful summer.
DFB.de: Mr. Brandt, originally you weren’t supposed to be here anymore. The plan was to send you home after the Finland match. Did you have any plans for the weekend?
Julian Brandt: I was supposed to have between Thursday and Monday off. I would've visited my family. I was at the Olympics over the summer and I was supposed to use those free days to clear my mind a bit.
DFB.de: But it's not exactly a punishment to stay with the national team. Or did Joachim Löw have to convince you to make the trip to Norway?
Brandt: No of course not. It's always great to be with the national team. If the national team coach approaches you and asks you to help out because other players have sustained injuries, you don't have to contemplate long. It's not up for discussion. I'm very passionate about the national team and it makes me proud when the team needs me.
DFB.de: Do you remember May 31st? What was that experience like for you?
Brandt: Of course I remember. It was the day the national team coach announced his final squad for the EURO's and he told four players in our training camp in Ascona that they would not be on board. I was one of them. But it wasn't a bleak experience for me or anything like that. I was surprised and thrilled to be in their training camp in the first place. The week up until May 31st was a fantastic experience for me.
Even prior to the European Championship this summer in France, Julian Brandt gathered his first experiences with the DFB Team and now he is back. Since his first appearance, the 20-year-old has helped Germany's Olympic football team to a silver medal in Rio. In this DFB.de interview by editor Stefefn Lüdeke, Brandt talks about his eventful summer.
DFB.de: Mr. Brandt, originally you weren’t supposed to be here anymore. The plan was to send you home after the Finland match. Did you have any plans for the weekend?
Julian Brandt: I was supposed to have between Thursday and Monday off. I would've visited my family. I was at the Olympics over the summer and I was supposed to use those free days to clear my mind a bit.
DFB.de: But it's not exactly a punishment to stay with the national team. Or did Joachim Löw have to convince you to make the trip to Norway?
Brandt: No of course not. It's always great to be with the national team. If the national team coach approaches you and asks you to help out because other players have sustained injuries, you don't have to contemplate long. It's not up for discussion. I'm very passionate about the national team and it makes me proud when the team needs me.
DFB.de: Do you remember May 31st? What was that experience like for you?
Brandt: Of course I remember. It was the day the national team coach announced his final squad for the EURO's and he told four players in our training camp in Ascona that they would not be on board. I was one of them. But it wasn't a bleak experience for me or anything like that. I was surprised and thrilled to be in their training camp in the first place. The week up until May 31st was a fantastic experience for me.
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DFB.de: After the EUROS were over, you took part at the Olympic Games. Was it immediately clear after you didn't make the European Championships squad that you would be heading to Brazil?
Brandt: Roger Schmidt, my coach at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, DFB Sporting Director Hansi Flick and I discussed it. To be honest, the decision wasn't an easy one. I also spoke with Lars Bender and he was extremely convinced that the Olympic Games would be a great experience. He told me: "Buddy, you have to do it!" Today I'm very happy that I made the decision to go. I can only recommend it to other players to take part in these tournaments in the future. If I should get another chance in four years, I would definitely do it again.
DFB.de: In Brazil you impressed with seven assists and won the silver medal. In hindsight, are you perhaps a bit glad that the European Championships didn't work out for you?
Brandt: That's a mean question but to be honest: Yes. Obviously the national team is always the biggest and there is nothing that comes close to playing for them. But I'm also a realist and know that if I had made the squad for France, I wouldn't have got much playing time. In Brazil I played six games over the full 90 minutes. My preparation for the tournament was rather unusual, but I was at the same physical level as the other players. And I now have a silver medal to show for it.
DFB.de: Now you are back with the national team and you've made two appearances so far. Do you feel like a real international now?
Brandt: I certainly feel like I'm part of the team now. You get to know the people better and better and it's not like everything is new to you anymore. The acceptance from the others has also increased. And that will continue to be the case from game to game.
DFB.de: Schweinsteiger's farewell took centre stage during the game against Finland. Against Norway there is more at stake. What is the atmosphere like in the team? Have you noticed a shift in focus?
Brandt: It's true: Against Finland we wanted to ensure that Basti gets a nice farewell. He was supposed to have as much fun as possible in his final game. Against Norway we want to and have to win. You can feel the ambition in the team. Only the group's top finisher qualifies directly for Russia and that's why we desperately want to start with three points.
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