Germany’s U17 national team have produced eight different goalscorers at the U17 European Championships, with 17 players making an appearance so far, clear evidence that team spirit is a big asset in DFB coach Christian Wück’s side. Together they are working towards success and one player who has helped the team in the starting line-up and from the bench is Alexander Nitzl. The FC Bayern München defender knows that keeping things solid will be the key for Saturday’s quarterfinal clash with the Netherlands.
In this DFB.de interview, Nitzl talks about the spirit in the team and the EURO quarterfinal with the Netherlands. He also reveals his idol and why Germany’s U17 side can be confident ahead of the next game.
DFB.de: Mr. Nitzl, yesterday the DFB team travelled from Opatija to Zagreb, where the knockout games will take place. Was it easy to shake off the three-hour bus ride?
Alexander Nitzl: Of course, we aren’t that old yet (laughs). We are also familiar with these longer bus tours from our away games in the junior Bundesliga. It’s not a problem for us at all and it’s a part of a tournament like this. Last night all the players went to bed slightly earlier and this morning we were all well rested and have already had a light training session.
DFB.de: Germany can take some confidence from their performances in the group stages. The 7-0 victory over Ireland was particularly impressive.
Nitzl: The margin of victory isn’t what matters, but 7-0 shows that we are working well together. No matter who is playing from the start or who sits on the bench, we work as a team, want to experience the highest possible success together and therefore support each other in all areas. Our team spirit has always been there throughout the entire tournament. We have to keep it going.
DFB.de: You mostly operate in defence and can play as a centre-back, defensive midfielder and full-back. Is there a particular player you look up to?
Nitzl: Mats Hummels is a very interesting type of player. He’s a centre back, which is what I often play for FC Bayern as well. Furthermore, he used to play in defensive midfield for a time, a position that I know well too. Therefore, I can learn a lot from watching Mats Hummels. His tackling ability and build-up play are very impressive. He also plays for FC Bayern and the national team, which makes him a great role model for me.
DFB.de: Let’s get back to the EURO’s. What do you expect from your quarterfinal encounter with the Netherlands?
Nitzl: We already know the Netherlands’ U17 team from the Four Nations tournament and the Algarve Cup and we can expect a physical opponent. They try to exert dominance through their physical strength. But we have all the tools and particularly the quality to make sure this game goes our way. Also, we will be well prepared for the game by our coaching team. Looking at our strengths, we can go into the quarterfinal with full confidence as we want to reach the next round.
DFB.de: The game will be shown live on Eurosport. Does that provide any additional motivation for the team?
Nitzl: It’s obviously great when family, friends and many football fans get to watch the game. At our age it doesn’t happen very often that a game is broadcasted live on TV, so it’s something special for us but it doesn’t have a direct impact on our motivation. Even if the game was not shown on TV, we would still give 100 percent to win.
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Germany’s U17 national team have produced eight different goalscorers at the U17 European Championships, with 17 players making an appearance so far, clear evidence that team spirit is a big asset in DFB coach Christian Wück’s side. Together they are working towards success and one player who has helped the team in the starting line-up and from the bench is Alexander Nitzl. The FC Bayern München defender knows that keeping things solid will be the key for Saturday’s quarterfinal clash with the Netherlands.
In this DFB.de interview, Nitzl talks about the spirit in the team and the EURO quarterfinal with the Netherlands. He also reveals his idol and why Germany’s U17 side can be confident ahead of the next game.
DFB.de: Mr. Nitzl, yesterday the DFB team travelled from Opatija to Zagreb, where the knockout games will take place. Was it easy to shake off the three-hour bus ride?
Alexander Nitzl: Of course, we aren’t that old yet (laughs). We are also familiar with these longer bus tours from our away games in the junior Bundesliga. It’s not a problem for us at all and it’s a part of a tournament like this. Last night all the players went to bed slightly earlier and this morning we were all well rested and have already had a light training session.
DFB.de: Germany can take some confidence from their performances in the group stages. The 7-0 victory over Ireland was particularly impressive.
Nitzl: The margin of victory isn’t what matters, but 7-0 shows that we are working well together. No matter who is playing from the start or who sits on the bench, we work as a team, want to experience the highest possible success together and therefore support each other in all areas. Our team spirit has always been there throughout the entire tournament. We have to keep it going.
DFB.de: You mostly operate in defence and can play as a centre-back, defensive midfielder and full-back. Is there a particular player you look up to?
Nitzl: Mats Hummels is a very interesting type of player. He’s a centre back, which is what I often play for FC Bayern as well. Furthermore, he used to play in defensive midfield for a time, a position that I know well too. Therefore, I can learn a lot from watching Mats Hummels. His tackling ability and build-up play are very impressive. He also plays for FC Bayern and the national team, which makes him a great role model for me.
DFB.de: Let’s get back to the EURO’s. What do you expect from your quarterfinal encounter with the Netherlands?
Nitzl: We already know the Netherlands’ U17 team from the Four Nations tournament and the Algarve Cup and we can expect a physical opponent. They try to exert dominance through their physical strength. But we have all the tools and particularly the quality to make sure this game goes our way. Also, we will be well prepared for the game by our coaching team. Looking at our strengths, we can go into the quarterfinal with full confidence as we want to reach the next round.
DFB.de: The game will be shown live on Eurosport. Does that provide any additional motivation for the team?
Nitzl: It’s obviously great when family, friends and many football fans get to watch the game. At our age it doesn’t happen very often that a game is broadcasted live on TV, so it’s something special for us but it doesn’t have a direct impact on our motivation. Even if the game was not shown on TV, we would still give 100 percent to win.
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