On Germany At Euro 2024
Let's start with Germany then. Can you give us any insight into what the mood is like in the camp and also what the mood is like around the team and the expectation back home?
The last few tournaments have been very disappointing. We were knocked out of the World Cup twice in the group stage, which never happened before. The mood going into the EURO’s wasn’t brilliant, but that all changed after two impressive wins against the Netherlands and France in March.
As for the warm-up games against Ukraine and Greece, they weren't the best. We found a way to win the last one. The big talking point in Germany is Manuel Neuer and his role in the team, because he was at fault for the goal against Greece.
Naglesmann and Rudi Völler, the Technical Director, both said that there won't be any discussion about the keeper. Neuer is in goal full stop, which I think is the right thing to do going into the tournament.
I'd say the mood is a lot better than before the last few tournaments, but there's still one or two question marks or worries about the team.
You mentioned the last couple of tournaments being a bit of a disappointment, certainly by Germany's standards, but expectations will be high.
The last time we hosted a tournament in 2006, expectations were really high, and Germany got to the semi-finals. If you look back at it, we probably should have made it to the final, but we were knocked out by Italy. Everyone is hoping that we can do something similar, and that home advantage will make up for maybe one or two deficiencies within the team.
Things can be a little bit tricky sometimes between the players and the press in Germany. Are you confident that this group of players can handle the pressure and the expectation?
That's the beauty of football, you only find out when you’re there. I think Aleksandar Pavlović is a great example of a young player that people may have had reservations about at the highest level. Pavlovic came into the team in Munich in the autumn when the club had a lot of injuries, and he did ever so well. People probably didn't expect him to have the impact he's had.
Some players come in and thrive on the big stage, some don't. What I would say is that there are some fairly inexperienced players in the squad when it comes to the national team.
There's an influx of players who have had brilliant seasons, but they are not proven at this level. On the other hand, I think that the blend is good and there is an established hierarchy within the team, and when there hasn’t been one, we’ve had problems within the squad. If you haven't got a hierarchy in your team, if people don't know their place and their position within the team, it's almost impossible to be successful over a longer period.
It's important in a tournament where you could play seven games. Toni Kroos is very much the leader of this team and has been since he came back into the fold. I think everybody knows that he's calling the shots, even though he's not the captain. We also have players in this team who put their own interests to the back of their head and work for the team. The team comes first, and I’m not sure that was always the case at previous tournaments (where Germany didn’t perform as well as they could have done).
We have some wonderful young players in Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. The question will be: do we have enough? Are we good enough? I think the mood is good in the country. It could be worse.
What lessons have Germany learnt from those recent tournament experiences where things haven’t gone to plan? Are you confident that this tournament is going to be a different story?
You always hope. I think there were reasons for the other tournaments. The two before last, I think we probably took too long with the manager. We went to Russia, and I think we probably needed to move on from Joachim Löw.
Then in 2021, we got knocked out by England, and I felt England were there for the taking. In a one-off game you can always get beat. At the World Cup, there were too many issues off the pitch that had a major impact on the squad. The rainbow armband and the fall-out from that, it was just too much of a distraction and I think it split the team.
At the World Cup, we had a divided team. If you're not united, if you haven't got 26 players and staff all pulling in the same direction, you won't go anywhere. So that is a major difference going into this tournament.
Have we learned anything from that World Cup experience? We'll find out. We've got an OK group. On paper, I think this group might look a bit easier than it actually is.
On Friday we have the first game against Scotland. They have a few injuries in the squad. With the format, one win might be enough to go through, so I fully expect us to go to the next round. Then you need to see who you're up against. I can see us going to the semis, but I'm not too sure whether we can go any further.
What would be the minimum objective for Germany in this tournament?
The players said there's no point in coming here if you don't want to win it. Winning it is the main objective.
You're at home. You've got to use that to your advantage and try to get to the final and win it. I think there's probably two or three teams that are better equipped than Germany.
I think the German fans would be happy if the team reached the semi-final. Whether that's achievable, we'll see. When you get to the quarter-final stages, that is normally when the cream rises to the top on the international stage. At that stage, it’s all about performing on the day. The bare minimum should be getting to the quarterfinal. Anything above that is probably a bonus.
You mentioned there in your last answer about maybe three or four other teams that you think might have a little bit more than Germany. Who are those teams in your opinion?
If you want to win it, you have to beat the best. Winning the group helps because there's a chance you avoid one of the bigger teams in the next round or the one after.
The best team at the tournament is probably France. The question will be how hungry they are because they’ve won quite a bit. Their star player Kylian Mbappe has been off colour for the last six months. Maybe his move to Real Madrid was in the back of his mind, but I don't think France will win it if Mbappe doesn't perform. He hasn't performed for a long time now, and it's very hard to switch that on when a tournament starts. I've got my doubts about France, but if they can get their best players firing and playing at their levels, then they will be hard to stop.
England is the other team I think can go deep into the tournament. If you look at the players they left out, they'd probably be in the squad or maybe even starters for most other nations.
My one concern with England is Jordan Pickford. He is a worry for me. If you want to win a big tournament there’ll be upsets, there'll be downs, there'll be setbacks. You need a keeper with a calm influence and he's the opposite of that. That is why I've got my doubts about England and their chances.
England shouldn't have lost the final against Italy three years ago. At the World Cup before that, they were outplayed by Croatia in the semi-final. You only get so many chances, and when you get these chances, you've got to take them. England haven’t done that.
Goalkeeper is such a key position. You need a calming influence in the moments when you will suffer. You need to be positive when you have a setback. It’s really important to keep your spirits up and not lose your head when things aren’t going for you, and I don’t think Pickford radiates calm on the pitch with his behaviour. There is a knock-on effect to that too – the panic starts to spread to other parts of your team. His behaviour doesn’t help when the going gets tough.
Spain have a very good team. They’ve got some wonderful players.
The team I really like is Portugal. If you look at their squad, they’ve got quality in every single department. The question is whether Roberto Martinez has the capabilities to manage Cristiano Ronaldo. Will he bold enough to limit his time on the pitch and explain to him that he won’t be able to play ninety minutes in each game. Will he be brave enough to put him on the bench in certain games? If Martinez can keep Ronaldo on side, then I think Portugal could go deep into this tournament.
On The German Squad
Are there any areas of the squad that you've got concerns about? How do you feel about the overall balance of the squad?
I think we're okay in every department. That could be one of our strengths.
If you look at our defence, Rüdiger, obviously won the Champions League and will be full of confidence. I actually don't think he's played as well as we’re used to over the last few months, but his club have had a magnificent season, so it’s hard to argue with his inclusion. He's a guy who likes to defend and, in these days where most central defenders play out from the back, you need guys who like the physical side of the game. You need players who like to defend their goal.
Manuel Neuer has come back from his injury. I still think he's a top-class keeper and I think we will be fine in that position.
Jonathan Tah, he had a fantastic season. Tah has been brilliant for Leverkusen, but this is a different test for him. He's had a few caps, but I don't think he's been to a tournament before and to be a starting central defender is different kind of pressure that he will have to adjust to.
Maximilian Mittelstädt, he is another player coming off the back of a fantastic season. He was brilliant for Stuttgart, but he isn’t proven at this level. He is a very talented player though.
Kimmich did really well. He has made that transition to right-back again after playing in central midfield for the last few years.
In midfield, Toni Kroos and Robert Andrich are solid.
We lack pace going forward. Sané has got an ongoing problem with a little injury, but we had to take him because he is like lightening and is the one player in this team that offers that outlet. He can't train an awful lot, because of his hernia problem. If you look at the team, there's not an awful lot of pace in it.
We also have to see whether or not Wirtz and Musiala can play together. I feel that Wirtz is our best player, he's got to play in the middle, but then you've got the issue that İlkay Gündoğan been made captain. Gündoğan has to play and, if everybody's fit, he probably wouldn't be in my starting 11.
It is a good team. Is it an exceptional team? No. Do you need an exceptional team to win a tournament? No, not if you stick together because you can make up for that as a group. I’m just not sure whether we've got enough quality in the team or squad to win it.
With Gündoğan, his career speaks for itself, but when he puts on that Germany shirt, it's not that he lets anybody down, but it's more a question of finding the right role for him at the expense of other players and that's been a problem for a little while hasn't it?
It's been a problem since Gündoğan started. Finding his role in the team has been a problem for 10 years. He’s nearly had eighty caps, and there haven't been too many games where you walked away from a game and said: “Gündoğan’s been outstanding today.” He was a perfect fit for that Manchester City team. He had Rodri behind him, he had Stones behind him. City have a lot of possession. He's very smart with his runs in the box; he's a great finisher with both feet. Germany are a different team. We’re not as dominant as City. I made the point six months ago when I said I don't think Gündoğan should be the captain. I think he was pretty average for Barcelona this season too.
If you play Gündoğan or if Gündoğan is your captain, he's got to play. That takes away the option of playing Wirtz and Musiala together. They did play together in the last few games because Sané couldn't play, but Sané has to start when he is fit because he is the only player in the team with pace.
Up top, Havertz, he is not a centre forward. He had a decent end to the season, but for me he still flatters to deceive most of the time. I think he's capable of so much more. Is he the presence up there that will score the goals for Germany and get us deep into the tournament? I'm not sure that he is.
There are one or two question marks about our team and starting eleven, but, obviously, that can change as the tournament progresses. Gündoğan has been substituted off in a few games lately which means there are no guarantees that he will start in the tournament.
You mentioned Havertz briefly there. He is a player that divides opinion…are you confident he can make the difference leading the line?
I'm not confident with Havertz’ ability to score the goals that you need from your striker in an international tournament. The thing with Havertz is that he is going to be turning twenty-five soon, and I’m still not sure what his best position is or what it is he does as a football player.
I watched him since he burst onto the scene at Leverkusen as a seventeen-year-old. He was incredible as a youngster – he kept Leverkusen in the Bundesliga with his performances.
I’ve followed him closely ever since then and I thought that he was one of the best, if not the best players that Germany has produced in a long time. When you look at his career from that breakthrough point to now, he’s won the Champions League, he got close to the Premier League with Arsenal. I wouldn't say his career is at a crossroads, but I think what he has to understand is that there's got to find a position that he defines as his own, because if you get moved around constantly, It's never a good sign. Versatility is good, but he’s at that stage of his career where he needs to define his role. If you asked a hundred people what his best position is, you would probably get a lot of different answers. He's not a centre forward, but he's not prolific enough to score goals or create chances as an offensive midfielder.
I think he would be most effective playing off a target man in a free role. That won’t happen for him at Arsenal because he isn’t as good as Odegaard and, for Germany, he isn’t as good as Wirtz or Musiala. Now is the time for Havertz to really put a marker down.
He’s played a lot of games leading the line for Arsenal. He did well in the second half of the season. For Germany he plays up front, but I'm not entirely sure whether he wants to play there. I think he's playing there because he gets asked to play there.
If you asked him, I think he'd prefer to play a bit deeper.
Are you worried about the options Germany have leading the line?
We've got a young kid from Hoffenheim who's really special, Max Beier. There are high hopes for him in Germany, he's got a bit of pace as well. He’s only twenty-one, he's not played at this level before, but he's a player I'd like to see get some minutes. His potential is massive.
Niclas Füllkrug, he came onto the scene late, but he has a fantastic record when he has played for Germany. He has eleven goals in sixteen appearances. He played well for Dortmund and has the experience of being in the biggest games, so he's a very good sub to have.
We spoke about that blend in the squad. There are a couple of guys that have been there and done it in Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller. What do they bring to this squad?
Kroos is the leader of the team. He's the playing the role of the captain without the armband. Kroos calls the shots and rightly so, because if you've got a player like him you've got to let him get on with it. What he's done for Madrid over the years has been outstanding.
Thomas Müller, he'll be a part-timer in terms of his role. He is very much a squad player at this tournament, and I expect him to have a bigger impact off the field than on it. Having Thomas Müller in and around the place is a good move and he will help create a good atmosphere in the squad. There are a lot of inexperienced players in this squad; players without the experience of representing Germany at a major tournament.
Players like Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Kimmich, these guys have been there and done it. They will be a calming influence on the guys that aren’t experienced at this level.
Who is that the most important man in this Germany team?
I feel that Florian Wirtz is the player who can make the difference. I think he can be a difference-maker and it’s a massive opportunity for him to announce himself on the world stage.
If you look at some of the other nations, all of the teams that you expect to challenge have one or two exceptional players. France have Mbappe, England have Kane. We have Wirtz. If Florian doesn’t fire over the next month, then Germany won’t meet their objectives at the tournament.
On Germany vs Scotland
The opening game will be a big test for this group. The expectation is high and, in many ways, it’s a bit of a free hit for Scotland. Everyone will expect the host nation to beat them convincingly, but it won’t be that simple. Scotland are a good team, and they will make it as difficult as possible for Germany.
It’s important that there is a little bit of tension in the group when they stand in that tunnel before the match kick-off. It’s not nerves, you don’t want that because that is a negative energy. Use the tension to focus your minds and get the job done.
It would be incredibly foolish to write Scotland off. They have some excellent players in Andy Robertson, John McGinn. Scott McTominay always does it in a Scotland shirt. This is a great opportunity for Scotland to show the world just how much they have improved as a footballing nation over the last few years.
Who do you think is the biggest worry in Group A from a German point of view?
I think all three teams are dangerous. Switzerland may not be as potent as we’ve seen them at other tournaments. Xherdan Shaqiri is a little bit older now, playing his football in the MLS.
Defensively, they're solid. They've got two brilliant goalkeepers and have players that can do some damage if you give them the opportunity.
With Hungary, I watched them last week against Ireland and they lost. Obviously, a lot depends on Dominik Szoboszlai. They had a tough group in the last Euros, and they didn't disgrace themselves.
All three games are potential banana skins for Germany. I don’t think there are any easy games in this group. Germany should go through, but I think it'll be a fight against all three teams.
What would be your message to the group of players and Julian Nagelsmann ahead of this game and for the wider tournament?
Stick together. That's all you can do. Stick together because if you don't, you're knackered. There will be frictions in the camp, there always is at international tournaments; there will always be players who are not happy with their playing time. Individuals need to leave their ego at the door and think of the bigger picture. This is about a collective effort. It’s about the country and the people watching at home. Stick together and don't give up.
Are there any teams or individuals that you're really looking forward to kind of seeing on this stage?
Georgia are there for the first time and that’s a great story. I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring to the tournament. They are managed by Willy Sagnol, an ex-Bayern Munich player, so I hope he does well.
I look forward to seeing what Austria can do at this level. They had a very good qualifying campaign, finishing behind Belgium. They beat Turkey 6-1. They beat Germany not so long ago. They are a team that I’ve been following closely.
Ralf Rangnick, he turned down the opportunity to manage Bayern because he didn’t want to be distracted – he said his job with Austria wasn’t finished. There are a lot of great stories, and it will make for a fantastic tournament.
On England At Euro 2024
There were some reports that came out over the weekend that apparently, several members of the Germany squad were stunned by Jack Grealish's omission from the England squad. Do you share that point of view if that were to be true?
I'd be very surprised if the German players passed comment on what is happening in the England squad. I don’t think that will be on the players’ minds at all. There's only so many times that the media can speak to the players, so Jack Grealish probably wasn’t the priority question from the press (laughs).
I probably would have taken Grealish. I think there's reason not to take him because his numbers this season just haven't been good enough. If you look at the last European Championship, he was probably the main man. He’s a great option with the ball – he can get you up the pitch and he wins a lot of free kicks in dangerous positions because of his trickery. Sometimes you need that when you’re under pressure. He doesn't give away possession. Even if he wasn’t part of the managers first team plans, I don’t think you would find a better sub or an option off the bench than Jack Grealish.
If you want to calm the game down with 20 minutes to go, I don't think there's a better player than him. It’s a bold call given the squad size increased from twenty-three to twenty-six players. I would have found a place for him, but, on the other hand, you could argue that players like Eze and Gordon deserve to be included because they’ve had better seasons than Grealish.
That being said, I was surprised that Grealish wasn’t included. I would have taken him.
When you look at the wider group, you mentioned the attacking players that England have, but are there any weaknesses in the team?
I think Pickford is a weakness. I don’t think he radiates composure and that can have a negative effect on the defence. He isn’t a player that is calm when things go against him.
The partnership of John Stones and Marc Guéhi is untested at this level. That could be a worry from an England point-of-view because whatever people say about Harry Maguire, when he plays for England, he is always reliable.
Declan Rice is absolutely crucial to the England team. If the defence is a bit fragile, and we won’t know that until the games start, then Declan Rice has to be even more disciplined.
When I watch him for Arsenal, I get a feeling sometimes that he wants to do everything. He's got all these hugely talented players ahead of him with England. All he has to do is sit there and protect the back four. That's what I want to see from him. People talked about Declan Rice as the best central midfielder in the Premier League, but for me its Rodri all day, every day.
I think Rice could be as good as Rodri, but he is guilty of sometimes thinking he is better than he is, and he tries to do a lot going forward. That’s not his job in my opinion. When Arsenal need a goal, we’ve seen him charging around the pitch when I think there are more natural attacking players in the squad who can do that.
England need to find the right balance if they want to be successful. This is a big test for Rice. If England have problems defensively, then he needs to be disciplined. This is an opportunity for Rice to show that he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, because, for me, the jury’s still out.
The big challenge and question Southgate is facing is whether or not he plays one defensive midfielder or two. What would you do? How would you configure that engine room?
I'm not the biggest fan of Connor Gallagher, but Gallagher might be the one who plays next to Rice. I'd think about putting Bellingham next to Rice. Bellingham, he scored all these goals this season, but I actually think that during the second half of the season, he’s been very, very average.
Those comments may sound harsh because he’s playing in a team that won the league and were just crowned European champions, but if you look at the games since the quarterfinal of the Champions League, he hasn't been at his best.
I think a lot of his goals can be explained by the role he was given by Real Madrid earlier in the season. He was practically playing as a centre forward for them, but in the second half of the season, he hasn’t been as effective. He’s a player that likes to go forward, and I think the less defensive responsibility he has, the better he is. That’s dangerous for England – he will have to do more defensively in this team than he does for Real Madrid.
England have so many good players in attack. With the players that England have, I think Bellingham would be better suited playing a bit deeper. He can’t expect to have a free role in this team.
What do you think England will do at the tournament?
I think England could get to the semi-finals, and if they get that far, there’s a good chance they will be facing France.
In a one-off game, I would favour France, but then again, England probably should have beaten them at the World Cup. They were unfortunate not to beat them in Qatar.
With a squad like this, at some stage England have to win a tournament. You don't get umpteen chances of winning a tournament. There might be a time in four, six, or eight years where England are in a tournament and the fans are happy for them to reach the quarters.
I don’t like to talk about the Golden Generation, but those players were in my time, and they never reached the heights they should have done. I actually think that group of players was probably more talented than this one, so that tells you how big the challenge is for England.
The talent is there. You need a bit of luck, of course, but you also need to grasp the opportunity.
England have got to go there and try to win it, full stop.
On The Premier League
On the Premier League charges facing Manchester City
The one thing that is very clear in this ongoing case against Manchester City is that it needs to be resolved and it needs to be resolved quickly for the integrity of the Premier League.
When there are 115 charges of rule breaking, you need to sort things out. There were two clubs last season in Everton and Nottingham Forest who had points taken off them.
There are several clubs who are close to or will be in breach of the financial rules next season; five clubs that have to sell players. Leicester are one of them, and they will be given a points deduction.
I don’t think it’s right that clubs have been punished for fewer charges while Manchester City have been allowed to delay things. The Premier League needs to sort this out quickly because the longer the Manchester City case drags on, the longer the competition’s integrity is dragged through the mud.
Last season, with the points deductions and appeals process, there were too many unknown quantities. Clubs didn’t know whether they were coming or going. That’s a situation that isn’t sustainable. I’m not saying whether Manchester City are guilty or not. I don't know. If City are found guilty, there will be punishment, but obviously that's all to be determined. One way or another, the Premier League must sort it out because the longer it drags on, the more it damages the reputation of the competition.
On Man City, it's Pep Guardiola's last year of his contract. The whispers are suggesting that he will walk away at the end of next season. Can you see him sticking around or do you think he will call it quits when his contract expires?
I think Manchester City are in a similar situation to the one that Liverpool are managing this summer; everything comes to an end. I think Pep will reach the end of his time just as Jurgen did.
When Pep left Bayern Munich after three years, a lot of the players were saying how intense his methods were, and I think that they were quite happy to let him go. He will have been at Manchester City for a decade at the end of his contract – I don’t think anyone would have thought that he would have been at the club that long when he signed. It’s an unbelievable amount of time, especially when you think of the way that he works, the intensity.
He has been magnificent. Every three days, City have to go again. Everybody wants to beat them, and that brings its own challenges. To keep that level over that period of time is some achievement. Klopp did the same thing. Of course, he spent a lot more money than Klopp did, but still you still have to win the games. The way he's done it has been outstanding.
I can't see him staying on. I think it would be best for both parties to start fresh next summer. It's a very intense and testing job. I think it's phenomenal what he's done.
He won the Champions League as well last season, so that's ticked off. Whether he manages again after, we'll see. Maybe he fancies a national team, but it probably will come to an end and what a time they've had together.
It's a summer of change with Arne Slot, taking over the reins from Jurgen Klopp. He's new to the Premier League of course. If you were to give him a piece of advice, what would it be?
Be yourself and win (laughs). It’s easier said than done of course. The people
who know him, they speak very highly of him. He seems to be a man manager.
From what I’ve read about him, there are similarities to Klopp, which I think will help. At the same time, he can’t try and copy Jurgen – he has to be his own man.
The big question is what is going to happen with Salah. Does he want to stay or does he want to go? Virgil van Dijk has committed himself to next season, which is a good thing.
Liverpool have a very good team. I think there are still some doubts about Darwin. He will need to make a decision there. Is he going to win you a league or a big title? I'm not too sure. I’ve always defended him, but I think it's gone too far now. I don’t think he’s delivered consistently enough in the two years he has been at the club.
Liverpool have got a number of players who are injury prone as well. Dominik Szoboszlai missed a lot of football. He started the season well; I wasn't too sure about him when he signed. I think the jury is still out on him.
Slot needs to understand what the best role for Alexis Mac Allister is. Endo did well as a defensive midfielder, but that didn’t surprise me because I watched him in Germany a lot.
Slot must decide on the futures of two or three players. What has hindered Liverpool over the last two or three seasons, even though they went close, was when they needed a goal in big games, apart from Salah, there was nobody that you would hang your hat on to make the difference.
Salah has been wonderful for Liverpool, but he’s getting older now. Can he be that player who makes the difference next season? I’m not sure if he can. If Salah moves on, I’m worried that there isn’t a player in the squad that is ready to take on the responsibility of being the main man. I don't see anyone there that can fill his shoes. Liverpool have a lot of supporting acts, but they’re not ready to become the leading man. That is key for me. Who can come into the team and do what Salah has done for the last seven years? It’s a big challenge to try and find a replacement for him.
RB Leipzig's Benjamin Šeško has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
A few clubs have been looking at him for a while. Do you think he's ready for the Premier League?
I don't think another season with Leipzig will do him any harm, to be honest. He is still a very young player who is developing and learning.
When he came to Salzburg when he was 15 or 16, people I spoke with at the club said he was better than Haaland was when he joined them as a youngster. They said he was a more natural finisher, more talented, and his overall game was better than Haaland’s. I can see that. I think he's got everything a top striker needs.
At the beginning of the season, he was mainly used from the bench as an impact player. He only became a starter late in the season, but he had a huge impact whenever he came on and he scored some fantastic goals.
Has he got the capabilities to play in the Premier League? Absolutely. He’s been linked with Arsenal, and I think he is exactly the type of player that Arsenal need in their squad.
A striker with Šeško’s profile is really the only player that Arsenal are missing at the moment. If you want to win the Premier League, you need to have options up front and in the way that you want to play, Arsenal lacked that last season.
Arsenal probably want to sign him now because there’s a danger they could miss out on him if they wait for a year. I can see why they’re interested in bringing him in.
I'd love to see him in the Premier League. I think another season playing for Leipzig wouldn't do him any harm, but at the same time, if he does go to Arsenal, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a huge success.
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