After Germany Women made it to the final of the Olympics football tournament, their male counterparts have now done exactly the same. Since their preparation in Frankfurt around three weeks ago, both teams have been working towards this goal.
The women won 2-0 in their semi final against Canada and will face Sweden in the final on Friday (22:30 CEST). Against Nigeria, the men also managed a 2-0 victory in the semi final and now face hosts Brazil at the Maracana on Saturday (22:30 CEST). Two football teams from the same country in the final of the Olympic Games – that has never happened before.
DFB sporting director Hansi Flick is very familiar with Brazil and the venue for the final in Rio. He became world champion as Joachim Löw’s assistant in 2014 at the legendary Maracana. The 51-year-old has accompanied both teams during preparation and the tournament. In a DFB.de interview, Hansi Flick talks about this historic constellation, progression to the Olympic Village in Rio and his memories of the 2014 World Cup triumph.
DFB.de: Mr. Flick, two DFB teams started the Olympic Games in Brazil 15 days ago, and now the women’s and the men’s team are in the final. You can’t do much more than applaud that, right?
Hansi Flick: Absolutely. It is incredible what our football teams have achieved here. Neither the men or the women have ever made it to the final of an Olympic Games, and now both have taken this huge step. Regardless of the outcome of the finals, that is a unique success story. We have performed brilliantly so far, but now our target is obviously gold.
DFB.de: You have accompanied both of the teams through their preparation and the men’s team through the tournament. For the third group match, you also paid the women a visit in Brasilia. How are the teams looking? Where are there similarities and differences?
Flick: Both teams have developed a good team spirit, which is very important in a major tournament. Everyone helps each other and is ready to give everything for the victory. That goes for the players, the head coach and the backroom staff. That was clear to see with both teams from the very start. The women have been able to rely on the hard work they put in during the preparation, whereas the men had to find their feet during the tournament, due to a short preparation and difficult selection process - and they did this heroically. I am particularly pleased for Silvia Neid and Horst Hrubesch. There can be no better end for the two of them in their last major tournament...
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After Germany Women made it to the final of the Olympics football tournament, their male counterparts have now done exactly the same. Since their preparation in Frankfurt around three weeks ago, both teams have been working towards this goal.
The women won 2-0 in their semi final against Canada and will face Sweden in the final on Friday (22:30 CEST). Against Nigeria, the men also managed a 2-0 victory in the semi final and now face hosts Brazil at the Maracana on Saturday (22:30 CEST). Two football teams from the same country in the final of the Olympic Games – that has never happened before.
DFB sporting director Hansi Flick is very familiar with Brazil and the venue for the final in Rio. He became world champion as Joachim Löw’s assistant in 2014 at the legendary Maracana. The 51-year-old has accompanied both teams during preparation and the tournament. In a DFB.de interview, Hansi Flick talks about this historic constellation, progression to the Olympic Village in Rio and his memories of the 2014 World Cup triumph.
DFB.de: Mr. Flick, two DFB teams started the Olympic Games in Brazil 15 days ago, and now the women’s and the men’s team are in the final. You can’t do much more than applaud that, right?
Hansi Flick: Absolutely. It is incredible what our football teams have achieved here. Neither the men or the women have ever made it to the final of an Olympic Games, and now both have taken this huge step. Regardless of the outcome of the finals, that is a unique success story. We have performed brilliantly so far, but now our target is obviously gold.
DFB.de: You have accompanied both of the teams through their preparation and the men’s team through the tournament. For the third group match, you also paid the women a visit in Brasilia. How are the teams looking? Where are there similarities and differences?
Flick: Both teams have developed a good team spirit, which is very important in a major tournament. Everyone helps each other and is ready to give everything for the victory. That goes for the players, the head coach and the backroom staff. That was clear to see with both teams from the very start. The women have been able to rely on the hard work they put in during the preparation, whereas the men had to find their feet during the tournament, due to a short preparation and difficult selection process - and they did this heroically. I am particularly pleased for Silvia Neid and Horst Hrubesch. There can be no better end for the two of them in their last major tournament...
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DFB.de: ... and so now both teams are going to win the ultimate prize, the gold medal.
Flick: Of course, that has to be our goal now. We have already made history by securing a silver medal with both teams, but now we obviously want to win the two finals. We have got what it takes.
DFB.de: You won the World Cup in 2014 as Joachim Löw’s assistant – also at the legendary Maracana. How does that triumph from more than two years ago compare to the Olympic Games?
Flick: It is great to be back in Brazil. I have travelled to a few of the places that we went to during the World Cup. We played in Salvador, in Belo Horizonte and now it’s back to the Maracana in Rio. I have some great memories but I don’t like to draw comparisons. The history we are making at the Olympics is just as significant.
DFB.de: Today you are travelling to Rio with the men’s team and moving into the Olympic Village. In the run-up to this, there were discussions about staying in a hotel and not in the village. How did you make the decision?
Flick: Shortly after the semi final victory, we spoke to the players. Because it was still uncertain whether we would be able to move into the Olympic Village with all of our members of staff, we discussed the possibility of staying in a hotel. Thanks to some help from the German Olympic Sports Confederation, it was made possible to move into the Olympic Village as one big group. We are very grateful for this. It is an incredible thing that the players are getting the opportunity to experience this and meet other athletes. Now that we have made it to Rio, they should make the most of this experience and prepare for the final within this unique environment.
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