The Germany men’s football team won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio. The dramatic 5-6 loss against hosts Brazil on penalties only briefly dampened the mood of the Germany players. Every player performed outstandingly at the tournament, not just for themselves but for their head coach, Horst Hrubesch. The players wanted to win a medal for the 65-year-old at the end of the 16-year career. They managed to do exactly that. Horst Hrubesch spoke to DFB.de in an interview about winning the silver medal and the atmosphere in the Olympic village.
DFB.de: Horst Hrubesch, could you describe how you felt after the dramatic loss in the final against Brazil?
Horst Hrubesch: I was and I still am proud of my team. Of course there were some tears and some were hanging their heads at first. That is completely normal when you lose in a final, especially through penalties. But then I immediately said “Boys, this silver medal feels just like gold.” This dawned on the players later on at our celebration party and everyone celebrated over the historical win of an Olympic silver medal.
DFB.de: In the run-up to the competition the team only thought there was a small chance of achieving such success.
Hrubesch: The whole nomination process and little preparation time were not ideal. Therefore the whole thing is an even greater achievement. It was good how the whole team worked so hard from day to day. Just like the women’s team, we set off from Frankfurt with the aim of reaching the final. The fact that both teams managed to do that is simply a great achievement. I hope that Olympic football has a greater significance in German football in the future.
DFB.de: Which particular strengths would you point out from your Olympic team?
Hrubesch: There were many. For a start, their attitude and team moral. We went behind in the first two matches and the final and in these games we fought back. Also, we kept on improving and scored 22 goals in six matches. That is indicative of our outstanding attacking quality. After the first few matches we kept tight in defence. I can only compliment the whole team again. Also we can’t forget to thank all of the support staff that worked so hard behind the scenes.
DFB.de: Your team has had to do a lot of travelling in the last few weeks. From Frankfurt to Rio, from there to Salvador, then to Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, then back to Rio. How did you deal with the travel strain and keep the team in the best possible condition?
Hrubesch: We prepared the players from the very start for a bit of travel stress, and did our best to ensure the travel procedures would cause as little issue as possible. They acted professionally and stuck with all the terms. With a clear head, you can adjust comfortably to your surroundings, and the boys did that well. It is also important to ensure the players are enjoying themselves, both on the pitch and off it as a squad. That, with the work we put in, made the travel part easy for the players and me.
DFB.de: You had your old travel companion Frank Mill with you, who had already experienced the special Olympic atmosphere. What experiences and lessons did you take personally from your time in Brazil?
Hrubesch: It was extremely enjoyable to have made it to the final and spent the time leading up to the game in the Olympic Village. The atmosphere there was excellent. At the first dinner in the huge canteen, the boys met the National Handball team, then later stayed in a house with the Women’s Football team. There is a good feeling among everyone, and it is nice to be a part of such a wide sporting family. I am delighted that we had the chance to experience it for three days. The players will be able to tell their children about these experiences. I am really pleased that we had the chance to stay in the Olympic village.
DFB.de: This Olympics has been your last endeavour as a DFB coach. Has that quite sunk in for you?
Hrubesch: Yes, it mostly has. I knew it would be from the start of the tournament. We know we have done really well to earn silver, and so I can step down comfortably with that in mind. And before the question arrives, no, I do not know what I’m doing afterwards. For now, I am going to take a holiday, and then we will see. I will make sure not to become boring.
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The Germany men’s football team won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio. The dramatic 5-6 loss against hosts Brazil on penalties only briefly dampened the mood of the Germany players. Every player performed outstandingly at the tournament, not just for themselves but for their head coach, Horst Hrubesch. The players wanted to win a medal for the 65-year-old at the end of the 16-year career. They managed to do exactly that. Horst Hrubesch spoke to DFB.de in an interview about winning the silver medal and the atmosphere in the Olympic village.
DFB.de: Horst Hrubesch, could you describe how you felt after the dramatic loss in the final against Brazil?
Horst Hrubesch: I was and I still am proud of my team. Of course there were some tears and some were hanging their heads at first. That is completely normal when you lose in a final, especially through penalties. But then I immediately said “Boys, this silver medal feels just like gold.” This dawned on the players later on at our celebration party and everyone celebrated over the historical win of an Olympic silver medal.
DFB.de: In the run-up to the competition the team only thought there was a small chance of achieving such success.
Hrubesch: The whole nomination process and little preparation time were not ideal. Therefore the whole thing is an even greater achievement. It was good how the whole team worked so hard from day to day. Just like the women’s team, we set off from Frankfurt with the aim of reaching the final. The fact that both teams managed to do that is simply a great achievement. I hope that Olympic football has a greater significance in German football in the future.
DFB.de: Which particular strengths would you point out from your Olympic team?
Hrubesch: There were many. For a start, their attitude and team moral. We went behind in the first two matches and the final and in these games we fought back. Also, we kept on improving and scored 22 goals in six matches. That is indicative of our outstanding attacking quality. After the first few matches we kept tight in defence. I can only compliment the whole team again. Also we can’t forget to thank all of the support staff that worked so hard behind the scenes.
DFB.de: Your team has had to do a lot of travelling in the last few weeks. From Frankfurt to Rio, from there to Salvador, then to Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, then back to Rio. How did you deal with the travel strain and keep the team in the best possible condition?
Hrubesch: We prepared the players from the very start for a bit of travel stress, and did our best to ensure the travel procedures would cause as little issue as possible. They acted professionally and stuck with all the terms. With a clear head, you can adjust comfortably to your surroundings, and the boys did that well. It is also important to ensure the players are enjoying themselves, both on the pitch and off it as a squad. That, with the work we put in, made the travel part easy for the players and me.
DFB.de: You had your old travel companion Frank Mill with you, who had already experienced the special Olympic atmosphere. What experiences and lessons did you take personally from your time in Brazil?
Hrubesch: It was extremely enjoyable to have made it to the final and spent the time leading up to the game in the Olympic Village. The atmosphere there was excellent. At the first dinner in the huge canteen, the boys met the National Handball team, then later stayed in a house with the Women’s Football team. There is a good feeling among everyone, and it is nice to be a part of such a wide sporting family. I am delighted that we had the chance to experience it for three days. The players will be able to tell their children about these experiences. I am really pleased that we had the chance to stay in the Olympic village.
DFB.de: This Olympics has been your last endeavour as a DFB coach. Has that quite sunk in for you?
Hrubesch: Yes, it mostly has. I knew it would be from the start of the tournament. We know we have done really well to earn silver, and so I can step down comfortably with that in mind. And before the question arrives, no, I do not know what I’m doing afterwards. For now, I am going to take a holiday, and then we will see. I will make sure not to become boring.
