Christoph Kramer probably would not have thought that he would be honored again. His career in the national team has so far been limited to two high points, of which he has forgotten one (his appearance in the 2014 World Cup final including a substitution after a head hit) and better forgotten the other (the debut song he sang on the ferry in Brazil had to). Kramer’s time in the national team has long ended, but at least Joachim Löw has now officially named him a role model. Seven years after the 2014 World Cup, Christoph Kramer is suddenly a benchmark.
Nobody asked the national coach about the 2014 World Cup on Saturday, he himself kept quoting them. Kramer trained at a high level from the first to the last day of training, enthused Löw at the DFB training camp in Seefeld, Austria, and in the end he was rewarded for it. The national coach had already introduced Miroslav Klose, Mario Götze and André Schürrle into the debate two sentences earlier, and they too were unrestrainedly praised for their commitment and solidarity. At that time they were often reservists and then “kept the pace up and made decisive contributions” after their substitutions, such as – Loew didn’t say that, but meant it – the winning goal in the World Cup final.
That was “winning mentality !!!”, said Löw and spoke three exclamation marks. He said this word several times, it was the central term in his inaugural lecture. This mentality has to “grow in a team that goes to a tournament,” said Löw, “and we have to use every day here to develop this mentality.”
There are uglier places: Seefeld in Tirol between ski jumps and snow-capped alpine peaks.
(Photo: Matthias Schrader / AP)
If you want to grasp the dimension of these sentences, imagine an attacking midfielder, perhaps an artist who has a reputation for turning a little too much and who likes to pull back when the bad guys come at the opponent and “huh.” ! ” scream. And so this artist is now running back into his own half and even striding if that has to be.
Loew also said on Saturday that he is not suddenly a different coach, just because the EM will be his last tournament – no, he is not a different coach, but he is obviously determined to show a few sides that are already there hasn’t seen him in a long time. No wonder that Löw kept referring to the 2014 World Cup: the way he was at it back then, he obviously wants to be at it again now. In Brazil he coached pragmatically and tightly, he was under a body tension that was carried over to others. In Seefeld he now spoke about the three lessons he has planned for the training camp: They want to train the offensive processes, work on defensive compactness and practice “consistently standard situations”. The standards are “totally expandable” and would “certainly become a focus”.
Mr. Loew? Is it really you?
For many years Löw only accepted standard situations as part of the game because they are apparently actually part of the game due to a stray set of rules. And the defense was always important to him, but he always carried the offensive in his heart, he wanted to let the opponents combine on velvet paws, and in the end his players should push the ball into the gate.
Löw indicates that he is relying on Hummels and Rüdiger in defense
At this point the next audio sample from Seefeld: “We have to tackle the duel, the consistent action in our own sixteen. We have to be more stable on the defensive, that is very clear.” Incidentally, Löw indicated that he sees Mats Hummels and Antonio Rüdiger more in front in this defensive than the competitors Matthias Ginter, Robin Koch or the convalescent Niklas Süle. Rüdiger had “always played for us recently,” said Löw, and he expected Hummels (and Müller) to “set the tone”.
Jogi Löw is independent of this aaa absolutely focusedAs Jogi Löw would probably say, even if nobody can know how long the national coach will wear this attitude and whether he will make the right decisions or decisions at all in tight tournament games. But on Saturday he gave the impression that the tournament began for him “on the first day of training” (that is, last Friday); Also as a lesson from the unsuccessful World Cup 2018, when a later diagnosed complacency had spread in the training camp in South Tyrol. The team spirit was also somewhat weakened back then, as we know today; the reservists complained behind closed doors about the privileges of the regular players.
Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller in DFB dress.
(Photo: ANGELIKA WARMUTH / REUTERS)
This time the situation is curious in a different way: Loew obviously knows what he wants, but he doesn’t know with whom at the moment. Toni Kroos is still corona-positive and is in quarantine in Madrid, Leon Goretzka is expected in Seefeld on Tuesday after a muscle injury, but will not be able to train with the team right away. But Löw worries most about his England professionals, because after England was declared a virus variant area by the federal government, it is still completely unclear which entry requirements Ilkay Gündogan, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Rüdiger have to meet. For Austria, the Ministry of Health has confirmed a special regulation, according to which the four players could travel directly to Seefeld without quarantine measures. In Germany, however, the Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed on Saturday in response to a dpa request, the strict entry regulations would apply “also to professional football”. And the regulations are at the moment: 14 days of quarantine, without the possibility of the so-called free test. If it stayed that way, Löw could hardly use his prominent quartet in the first group game against France in Munich.
Oliver Bierhoff is working “hard” on the problem, said Löw, the DFB director is in contact with the ministries and authorities. “I hope that we can solve the problem and that the players can play a completely normal European Championship,” said Löw, which is why he has “no plan B”. So he will not nominate Christoph Kramer again.
.
