DFB sporting director Völler attended the national team training camp press conference. This article is the second part of the press conference.
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Mr. Völler, a question about Nick Woltemade, one of the players who hasn't played yet. How has he been performing in training? As a former striker yourself, have you spoken with him as an experienced forward about maintaining composure at this stage of the tournament?
Of course. As the competition progresses, there will always be some players who haven't had much playing time or haven't played at all. As I mentioned, yesterday our management deliberately attended the training session. The training performance of the players who didn't feature yesterday was truly outstanding—everyone was fully committed and passionate, which is extremely important. We've emphasized that the starting lineup must perform to succeed, but the reserve players also need to maintain this intensity and keep pace with the team, because that's what makes the entire squad successful. This is crucial.
If you look back at the group stage, Argentina and France have been genuinely impressive. How would you evaluate Germany's performance in comparison? Has that gap become apparent? How do you assess Germany's current strength?
Regarding those two teams and our own, I've said this many times before the tournament, and Julian Nagelsmann and some players have as well: I believe we have a team that, when performing at its absolute best—at 100% capacity—can beat any team.
Of course, as we saw against Ecuador, if we drop even a few percentage points in focus, which is understandable when you're already through to the next round, we can lose to certain teams. That's a fact—that's the difference. Perhaps one or two other top teams can still achieve their goals while playing at 80% or 90%. But for us, that won't work. However, I'm very calm and confident because I know that come Monday, this team will give everything and fight with all their might.
Hello Mr. Völler, Nathaniel Brown rested against Ecuador due to a minor injury as a precautionary measure. The coach seemed optimistic earlier—could you give us a brief update on his current condition?
That's a very accurate assessment, and I honestly can't tell you much more right now. We all hope he recovers well, and we still have two days. I expect him to participate in training today; you'll see him on the field this afternoon, but I can't be 100% certain at this moment. We'll release training photos, and then you'll see whether he's on the pitch.
Ruddy, what's your current assessment of France? You've watched their matches. Is France the biggest favorite for the championship? How strong do you think they are right now?
I'd rather focus on our match against Paraguay next Monday, but overall, there are indeed some national teams considered favorites to win the tournament, and France is clearly among them. This isn't new; it was the case four weeks ago and will certainly be the case four weeks from now. For years to come, France will remain a top contender. But that's not our focus right now, and frankly, it doesn't need to be. Our sole focus is Paraguay next Monday; we want to advance.
Ruddy, back to the summary question: you finished first in the group, which accomplished the objective. But from your perspective, what aspects of Germany's game are working well right now, and what areas still need improvement?
What worked well was evident in the first two matches, especially the second one. Despite some difficulties and tough resistance, the game was a bit rough, but the immense passion and fighting spirit shown afterward—and ultimately the successful comeback—was an exemplary performance, as expected.
As I said, it was indeed difficult against these opponents. But in the second and especially the third match, you could seethat what really concerned us wasn't even the physical intensity—you have to manage that—but rather careless, unnecessary turnovers in midfield during our attacking build-up. When you lose possession in those areas against Ecuador or Paraguay, they're very capable of exploiting those mistakes for quick counters. I'm certain they've noticed this, and we must minimize this risk.
Of course, you can't be perfect with every pass; you'll always have misplaced balls and lose some duels. But losing possession in critical areas, in those dangerous zones, can be very costly. We must reduce this to a minimum, otherwise the match will be very difficult. Every team wants to reduce turnovers, but we also have players who thrive on creativity, dribbling, and taking risks, and we encourage that style. However, there must be a certain discipline to avoid falling into the opponent's counter-attacking trap, which is the biggest threat we face.
Hello Mr. Völler, I remember at the home European Championship you prematurely revealed news about Waldemar Anton's transfer to Borussia Dortmund. Can you now reveal news about Nathaniel Brown joining Bayern Munich? If so, what makes him a good fit for Bayern? Also, there's discussion about his position. Some suggest Brown should play right-back in the next match, with Raum on the left and Kimmich moving back to midfield. What are your thoughts?
That's quite a few questions! Regarding Nathaniel Brown, his development over the past six months—even the past year—at Eintracht Frankfurt has been remarkable. Julian's decision to use him in that position for the national team and quickly give him confidence was no coincidence, and Brown has solidified his place with his performances. David Raum has also performed well consistently, but Brown truly earned that spot. As for the transfer rumors, we'll see. If I genuinely had confirmed information, I might indeed tell you, but I honestly don't know.
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Fauzsmail
0
even last world cup France was favorite but what happened
Edooo87
2
the most complete team
Edooo87
2
Agree