The sun was reflecting off lake Maggiore as the Germany U20s left the team hotel in Locarno early in the morning. It’s amazing how fast four days can go when you’re having fun. The task for the team in the Swiss canton of Tessin was capped off by a friendly against the senior team. It was a wonderful way for the 16 players to end their season before a well deserved summer holiday.
It is the end of a long and exhausting season for Frank Wormuth as well, who has had no time to rest thanks to his double role as head coach of the U20s and head of the Hennes-Weißweiler Academy. DFB writer Peter Scheffler sat down with him, to speak about the friendly against the senior team, what can be taken away from the sessions with the national team and what is next on the agenda for him.
DFB.de: Mr Wormuth, how do you view the U20s’ defeat in the friendly against the senior team?
Frank Wormuth: We were very happy with our team’s performance. We constantly attempted to implement the key tactical points that we spoke about with the national team head coach. Our strong performance was confirmed by Jogi Löw and his team as well. Therefore, it was an absolute win-win situation.
DFB.de: Both teams were able to profit. What was the feedback from the U20s like?
Wormuth: Outstanding, just as it was two years ago when we supported the senior-team as they prepared for the World Cup in Brazil. On the one hand, they were able to get a taste of the atmosphere and talent in the senior team. On the other hand, they were able to see the difference between themselves and the best players in Germany. We don’t only have Bundesliga players in the squad, who are used to the tempo and technique that is the norm for the senior players. The match should have encouraged the lads to think, where must I improve to make it to the top?
DFB.de: What do you think that the A team took away from the friendly?
Wormuth: The players got another chance to have a high quality training game and everyone knows that sportsmen prefer to play matches than train. The coaching staff were able to see a number of plays and examples that they can continue to work on in the next few days. The advantage of these internal matches is that we have to focus on implementing the national coach’s tactics rather than getting a result. It is something that a regional team wouldn’t do as well, as they wouldn’t want to lose.
The sun was reflecting off lake Maggiore as the Germany U20s left the team hotel in Locarno early in the morning. It’s amazing how fast four days can go when you’re having fun. The task for the team in the Swiss canton of Tessin was capped off by a friendly against the senior team. It was a wonderful way for the 16 players to end their season before a well deserved summer holiday.
It is the end of a long and exhausting season for Frank Wormuth as well, who has had no time to rest thanks to his double role as head coach of the U20s and head of the Hennes-Weißweiler Academy. DFB writer Peter Scheffler sat down with him, to speak about the friendly against the senior team, what can be taken away from the sessions with the national team and what is next on the agenda for him.
DFB.de: Mr Wormuth, how do you view the U20s’ defeat in the friendly against the senior team?
Frank Wormuth: We were very happy with our team’s performance. We constantly attempted to implement the key tactical points that we spoke about with the national team head coach. Our strong performance was confirmed by Jogi Löw and his team as well. Therefore, it was an absolute win-win situation.
DFB.de: Both teams were able to profit. What was the feedback from the U20s like?
Wormuth: Outstanding, just as it was two years ago when we supported the senior-team as they prepared for the World Cup in Brazil. On the one hand, they were able to get a taste of the atmosphere and talent in the senior team. On the other hand, they were able to see the difference between themselves and the best players in Germany. We don’t only have Bundesliga players in the squad, who are used to the tempo and technique that is the norm for the senior players. The match should have encouraged the lads to think, where must I improve to make it to the top?
DFB.de: What do you think that the A team took away from the friendly?
Wormuth: The players got another chance to have a high quality training game and everyone knows that sportsmen prefer to play matches than train. The coaching staff were able to see a number of plays and examples that they can continue to work on in the next few days. The advantage of these internal matches is that we have to focus on implementing the national coach’s tactics rather than getting a result. It is something that a regional team wouldn’t do as well, as they wouldn’t want to lose.
DFB.de: The training camp in Tessin was the last task for the U20s this season. How have things gone in your opinion?
Wormuth: This season we had a team that was a mix of players born in 1995 and 1996. All of the 30 players had the right attitude which made them really easy to work with. They were very disciplined and ready to learn things. We managed to win the Mercedes Benz Elite Cup against strong competition in autumn 2015 but had a difficult time in internationals, meaning we are now fourth and three points off table toppers Poland. That is mostly down to our goal scoring record. Throughout the season, we were compact with quick build-up and combination play. We were just lacking the necessary impetus in the final third. That was a shame.
DFB.de: You are head of development in the Hannes Weißweiler Academy as well as U20 head coach. What is next on the agenda for you?
Wormuth: It will be time for the next round of coaching courses in 14 days. That is my top priority. Then it will be time for the European Championship in France, where I will be an ambassador for DFB. As that finishes, the U19 European Championship will kick-off in Germany which we will be observing. I have a good team with both the U20s and the HWA and both tasks give me the perfect balance of teaching and practice.
