European Football Championship
Völler warns even without fires: EM starts again now
Feeling great anticipation for the knockout phase: DFB sports director Rudi Völler. Photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
It is not Julian Nagelsmann, but Rudi Völler who will be in charge of preparing for the knockout duel with Denmark. The sports director feels that he has been deprived of a key task at the European Championships. However, he does have a warning.
However, the national coach left the public warm-up, including a clear warning signal before the first knockout duel with Denmark, to Rudi Völler – as well as the latest bulletin on the health of defense chief Antonio Rüdiger.
With the experience of five decades of football, the sports director sat in the well-air-conditioned media center, took a sip from his coffee cup and briefly slipped into the role of admonisher. Optimism is allowed, but the senses must be sharpened now. Otherwise the great European Championship atmosphere will have fizzled out by the weekend. “Now there is a new competition, now there is a knockout system, round of 16, now it counts. And we are prepared,” said the 64-year-old on Wednesday in Herzogenaurach.
Remembering 1992
Danish Dynamite has not lost its potential for danger in the German football consciousness. Völler also remembered the legendary European Championship final in 1992, when he flew back to the German team with a broken arm as a lucky charm, but to no avail. He had to watch the 0:2 defeat in the final against the Danish European Championship holidaymakers from the stands.
It’s all history, says Völler today. For him, the only thing that counts is 2024. The national team is “wonderful”, Nagelsmann is “wonderful” as a coach and a person, Völler said in his typically humorous Auntie Kathy style. But the European Championships, after a formidable group phase with good-humored football and the necessary resilience, will start all over again.
After watching the TV show on the giant screen at the home ground, Völler believes Denmark is the logical German opponent in the European Championship round of 16 on Saturday (9 p.m./ZDF/Magenta TV). Of course, he praised his opponent, as is appropriate in the industry, out of respect, but also a touch of self-protection and caution. “They are a very dangerous opponent, we know that,” he said.
Dortmund as a major factor
However, Völler has identified the decisive fire in Nagelsmann and his own national players. And with the Dortmund factor, the stadium with the magical football energy, they should be able to make it to the quarter-finals. “We have honestly earned this optimism, this self-confidence. We definitely have the confidence that we want to move into the next round,” said Völler.
After one and a half years in office, he feels he has been robbed of his core task at this European Championship. He was assigned to Nagelsmann’s predecessor Hansi Flick as an emotional fireman after the World Cup disaster in Qatar. And now? In the summer of the 2024 European Championship? Fires? “There haven’t been any so far,” said Völler. And he’s not at all upset about that.
Völler felt compelled to give a relatively moderate report on the crisis in the defense. The good news: three days after the strain in his right thigh, Rüdiger was able to complete a light running session in the fitness tent next to the training ground. Team training was not yet possible due to the injury from the Switzerland game.
According to official language, a game on Saturday is not ruled out either. “In the end, Toni will decide together with the coach and the medical department. At the moment it is too early to say anything definitive,” said Völler.
Unwanted transfer news
If Rüdiger is also out, along with the yellow-carded Jonathan Tah, Völler just doesn’t want to cause any panic. “There are no negative thoughts that things might not go well,” he said. Nico Schlotterbeck played well against Switzerland. And Waldemar Anton? He also believes he can play in the European Championships. But Völler also let slip a little about Anton. The Stuttgart player had many offers and decided on Dortmund as his future employer. Transfer news in the DFB press conference? Völler later put it into perspective a little. But the information was suddenly more interesting than Rüdiger’s thigh.
Völler’s reference to Anton also makes it clear that Nagelsmann is sticking strictly to his European Championship role model, even if there are absences. There are no thoughts of using Emre Can as a substitute central defender – as favoured by former national team captain Michael Ballack.
Arguments for Havertz
In attack, the fans’ wish for goal hero Niclas Füllkrug to start instead of Kai Havertz will not be fulfilled. Völler did not commit himself to a position in the big German striker discussion. But when describing the respective strengths, the 64-year-old made it clear which direction Nagelsmann is thinking.
“Fülle’s scoring rate is certainly exceptional,” said Völler. The 31-year-old Füllkrug has scored 13 goals in 19 international matches. But: “You also need a center forward who plays, and Kai can do that wonderfully. He does it exceptionally well in his own way,” said Völler. Havertz is about to make his 50th appearance for Germany against the Danes.