On the whole, World Champion Matthias Ginter celebrated a successful comeback to Germany's U21 squad during their 2-2 draw with Italy on Friday night. Ginter played centre back for the full 90 minutes in Paderborn's Benteler-Arena, winning his ninth cap in the process.
The 21-year-old spoke with DFB.de on his return to Horst Hrubesch's team, his role as a leading player, Monday’s friendly against England and the U21 European Championships in June in the Czech Republic.
DFB.de: Matthias Ginter, what is your verdict on the 2-2 draw with Italy?
Matthias Ginter: I think that it was an entertaining game, especially for the spectators. We started off well and passed the ball around nicely even though we were under a lot of pressure early on. We conceded the opener from a set-piece but fought our way back into the game. However, in the second half we struggled to create clear chances.
DFB.de: Horst Hrubesch praised the team's fighting mentality. Is this a strong characteristic in Germany's U21 side?
Ginter: We really didn't have any other choice following our poor spell in the opening 45 minutes. We looked surprised with what had happened and that's something we cannot allow to happen again. When Italy regained the lead we pushed forward for the remaining 15 minutes and managed to create chances. In the end the 2-2 draw is the right result though. With a bit more luck we might've even won it but that would probably be asking a bit too much.
DFB.de: Italy put you under a lot of pressure. Did the defensive rearrangements contribute to this?
Ginter: We knew that Italy would try to put us under pressure early, they always do that. We played well in the opening stages of the game and created one or two very promising chances. But after our good start we fell out of our rhythm and struggled to regain it, which resulted in us falling behind.
DFB.de: It is not exactly usual to return to the U21 team after having played for the first team. Was this a problem for your motivation?
Ginter: No. It was agreed upon by both sides. I want to play in the European Championships so there’s no not a problem. These two friendlies are perfect to get some match practice in this team and get acquainted again. It's always important to get a feel for things on the pitch ahead of a tournament.
DFB.de: Why are you so determined to play in this summer’s tournament?
Ginter: It's a major competition this summer. I was already on board two years ago when we got eliminated in the first round. This time I would like to win the title if possible. There is nothing planned for the first team this summer and otherwise I would simply sit around on vacation. I would feel like I'm missing out on something. I definitely want to play this tournament and win it.
DFB.de: Coach Horst Hrubesch recently said that the current team are somewhat lacking leading figures on the pitch, compared with the winning team of 2009. Do players like you have to contribute more now?
Ginter: We all try to assume responsibility on the pitch. Especially in difficult situations when it comes down to the players who have been here for a longer period of time and who have already experienced similar type of situations. I count myself to be among those and always want to help.
DFB.de: The next opportunity to do so will be on Monday. What are your expectations about the friendly against England in Middlesbrough?
Ginter: It will be similarly intense as against Italy, perhaps even more so. I don't know a whole lot about their team but I'm sure that they will again be able to present strong players and a good team. We have to try and replicate our performance from the start of the game against Italy and try to avoid making the same mistakes.
[mmc/fr]
On the whole, World Champion Matthias Ginter celebrated a successful comeback to Germany's U21 squad during their 2-2 draw with Italy on Friday night. Ginter played centre back for the full 90 minutes in Paderborn's Benteler-Arena, winning his ninth cap in the process.
The 21-year-old spoke with DFB.de on his return to Horst Hrubesch's team, his role as a leading player, Monday’s friendly against England and the U21 European Championships in June in the Czech Republic.
DFB.de: Matthias Ginter, what is your verdict on the 2-2 draw with Italy?
Matthias Ginter: I think that it was an entertaining game, especially for the spectators. We started off well and passed the ball around nicely even though we were under a lot of pressure early on. We conceded the opener from a set-piece but fought our way back into the game. However, in the second half we struggled to create clear chances.
DFB.de: Horst Hrubesch praised the team's fighting mentality. Is this a strong characteristic in Germany's U21 side?
Ginter: We really didn't have any other choice following our poor spell in the opening 45 minutes. We looked surprised with what had happened and that's something we cannot allow to happen again. When Italy regained the lead we pushed forward for the remaining 15 minutes and managed to create chances. In the end the 2-2 draw is the right result though. With a bit more luck we might've even won it but that would probably be asking a bit too much.
DFB.de: Italy put you under a lot of pressure. Did the defensive rearrangements contribute to this?
Ginter: We knew that Italy would try to put us under pressure early, they always do that. We played well in the opening stages of the game and created one or two very promising chances. But after our good start we fell out of our rhythm and struggled to regain it, which resulted in us falling behind.
DFB.de: It is not exactly usual to return to the U21 team after having played for the first team. Was this a problem for your motivation?
Ginter: No. It was agreed upon by both sides. I want to play in the European Championships so there’s no not a problem. These two friendlies are perfect to get some match practice in this team and get acquainted again. It's always important to get a feel for things on the pitch ahead of a tournament.
DFB.de: Why are you so determined to play in this summer’s tournament?
Ginter: It's a major competition this summer. I was already on board two years ago when we got eliminated in the first round. This time I would like to win the title if possible. There is nothing planned for the first team this summer and otherwise I would simply sit around on vacation. I would feel like I'm missing out on something. I definitely want to play this tournament and win it.
DFB.de: Coach Horst Hrubesch recently said that the current team are somewhat lacking leading figures on the pitch, compared with the winning team of 2009. Do players like you have to contribute more now?
Ginter: We all try to assume responsibility on the pitch. Especially in difficult situations when it comes down to the players who have been here for a longer period of time and who have already experienced similar type of situations. I count myself to be among those and always want to help.
DFB.de: The next opportunity to do so will be on Monday. What are your expectations about the friendly against England in Middlesbrough?
Ginter: It will be similarly intense as against Italy, perhaps even more so. I don't know a whole lot about their team but I'm sure that they will again be able to present strong players and a good team. We have to try and replicate our performance from the start of the game against Italy and try to avoid making the same mistakes.
