The reigning world champions have quite the group waiting for them at the new UEFA Nations League: Germany have been drawn in Group A1 with European Championship runners-up France and old rivals Netherlands - two classic fixtures to say the least. What did the men in charge have to say about the draw? DFB.de took note of the reaction.
DFB president Reinhard Grindel: It’s the strongest group, and that makes clear straight away, what the Nations League is all about.
Joachim Löw: Finally there's no luck of the draw, thank God! It's really interesting. The Netherlands and France are two neighbouring countries with a huge culture and history in football. They will be interesting games for the fans and all of us. The most important thing was to no longer have friendlies, because the players were already pushed to the limit with their work load. I think it's good having fewer friendlies and more competitive matches. Interest in friendlies over the last few years has decreased rapidly, the people want to see competitive football. When there’s a competition, you can win something, like a trophy, or you can get relegated. The important thing is qualifying for the next tournament, not the Nations League trophy. It will be nice to be among the top four, but the priority has to be qualifying for the next championship.
World Cup winner Thomas Müller: What a group! An interesting start to this new competition.
France manager Didier Deschamps: We’ve drawn some big-name opponents, that’s what this competition is all about. It’s good for all teams - big and small - that the group winners enter the final tournament. The Nations League is interesting, especially given the quality of our oppositions.
The reigning world champions have quite the group waiting for them at the new UEFA Nations League: Germany have been drawn in Group A1 with European Championship runners-up France and old rivals Netherlands - two classic fixtures to say the least. What did the men in charge have to say about the draw? DFB.de took note of the reaction.
DFB president Reinhard Grindel: It’s the strongest group, and that makes clear straight away, what the Nations League is all about.
Joachim Löw: Finally there's no luck of the draw, thank God! It's really interesting. The Netherlands and France are two neighbouring countries with a huge culture and history in football. They will be interesting games for the fans and all of us. The most important thing was to no longer have friendlies, because the players were already pushed to the limit with their work load. I think it's good having fewer friendlies and more competitive matches. Interest in friendlies over the last few years has decreased rapidly, the people want to see competitive football. When there’s a competition, you can win something, like a trophy, or you can get relegated. The important thing is qualifying for the next tournament, not the Nations League trophy. It will be nice to be among the top four, but the priority has to be qualifying for the next championship.
World Cup winner Thomas Müller: What a group! An interesting start to this new competition.
France manager Didier Deschamps: We’ve drawn some big-name opponents, that’s what this competition is all about. It’s good for all teams - big and small - that the group winners enter the final tournament. The Nations League is interesting, especially given the quality of our oppositions.
