Last Friday, DFB announced that Marcus Sorg is joining the senior-team coaching staff. This decision has affected all the junior Germany national teams. While Guido Streichsbier is set to take over from Sorg as U19 manager, Christian Wück will take charge of the U18s. His first tasks: a friendly against France today at 15:00 CET in Konz, followed by another on Monday in Salmtal. In a short interview with DFB.de, the interim manager talks about his new temporary job and his return to the U16s.
DFB.de: Mr. Wück, has it come as a surprise to you that you are preparing the U18s for their friendlies with France?
Christian Wück: After the changes with Marcus moving to the senior team and Guido to the U19s, this was a logical solution for the position of U18s manager. I know the 1998 year group very well from the U17 European Championship and the World Cup last year. That’s why I stepped in for the two games against France. After that I’ll return to the U16s.
DFB.de: What are the aims for this particular youth team?
Wück: We would like to grow the U18 squad again. Because of the big tournaments in 2015 we deliberately kept the squad relatively small. Now it’s all about giving more and more players the chance to prove themselves. We want to see how far the players who got hardly any playing time have come. With this aim in mind we have approached the squad selection looking to use 50 per cent new players.
DFB.de: How will you approach the games against France?
Wück: We want to be proactive, follow through with our ideas and dictate the play - even though we are fully aware that the French will make life extremely for us with the quality they have. They are U17 European Champions, and we are runners-up - so I think we can certainly look forward to two great games of football.
Last Friday, DFB announced that Marcus Sorg is joining the senior-team coaching staff. This decision has affected all the junior Germany national teams. While Guido Streichsbier is set to take over from Sorg as U19 manager, Christian Wück will take charge of the U18s. His first tasks: a friendly against France today at 15:00 CET in Konz, followed by another on Monday in Salmtal. In a short interview with DFB.de, the interim manager talks about his new temporary job and his return to the U16s.
DFB.de: Mr. Wück, has it come as a surprise to you that you are preparing the U18s for their friendlies with France?
Christian Wück: After the changes with Marcus moving to the senior team and Guido to the U19s, this was a logical solution for the position of U18s manager. I know the 1998 year group very well from the U17 European Championship and the World Cup last year. That’s why I stepped in for the two games against France. After that I’ll return to the U16s.
DFB.de: What are the aims for this particular youth team?
Wück: We would like to grow the U18 squad again. Because of the big tournaments in 2015 we deliberately kept the squad relatively small. Now it’s all about giving more and more players the chance to prove themselves. We want to see how far the players who got hardly any playing time have come. With this aim in mind we have approached the squad selection looking to use 50 per cent new players.
DFB.de: How will you approach the games against France?
Wück: We want to be proactive, follow through with our ideas and dictate the play - even though we are fully aware that the French will make life extremely for us with the quality they have. They are U17 European Champions, and we are runners-up - so I think we can certainly look forward to two great games of football.
