The European Championship begins today. Before that, t-online columnist Stefan Effenberg speaks plain text in an interview. Where Kimmich has to play, who the national coach should sacrifice and what is more important than the title.
t-online: Mr. Effenberg, are coaching legends like Arsène Wenger or José Mourinho right with their criticism of the national team? Wenger said: “I think Germany has lost faith.” Mourinho called the performances “terrible” and “bad” in recent years.
Stefan Effenberg (52): In principle, I think it’s very good when you get a tough opinion from a top coach. So everyone knows where they stand, even if they may disagree. Both are certainly not entirely wrong – and the criticism of the national team is no coincidence. In terms of sport, she has not given a good picture in recent years. Neither at home nor abroad. So it’s no wonder if one or the other doubts that they will make progress in the group with France and Portugal. Even if I personally see it a little differently.
How come?
On the one hand, this criticism can serve as motivation. There are coaches like Christoph Daum who used to hang newspaper clippings with comparable statements in their teams in the dressing room to tickle the players and grab their honor. As a rule, it doesn’t even need to be, because as a player I hear these statements, save them in my head and wait eagerly for the X day when I can refute them.
And on the other?
On the other hand, you feel much more positive than Wenger or Mourinho. I think that the conditions for the national team are excellent to fix a lot of what has broken up in recent years.
Why?
Because national coach Joachim Löw jumped over his shadow and brought Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller back. Anyone who decides to take such a step must implement it consistently and equip these players with all the skills immediately. That’s exactly what he does. I regret that he did not take Jérôme Boateng with him because he deserved it. Nevertheless, with Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos as well as Hummels and Müller, there are now a number of experienced leaders who may play their last tournament or at least their last European Championship – and will do everything for success.
In the friendly against Latvia, with an average of 28.9 years, the oldest German team was on the field for 19 years. Isn’t she getting too old?
On the contrary. Age can be the big trump card. At the last European championship title in 1996, the starting eleven was even older – in the group game against the Czech Republic even 29.8 years on average. In the Champions League final, which we won with FC Bayern in 2001, we were 28.2 years old. Experience can help, especially when it comes to titles.
Is it about the title for Germany?
I think we don’t need to make ourselves smaller than we are. The German national team is feared internationally, that hasn’t changed. The title has to be the goal and you have to communicate that clearly. Regardless of the fact that Germany is certainly not one of the absolute top favorites.
Who else?
For me it’s France and Spain. I’m in the wider circle of favorites, along with Belgium, England – and Italy. The Italians haven’t lost the last 27 games, winning 22 of them. You may no longer have the dazzling top stars of the nineties, but you have incredible stability. And that is ultimately always decisive. The compactness will also determine how far the journey goes for the German national team. We shouldn’t expect a spectacle, but stability, just like passion, commitment and self-sacrifice. I see two role models here.
Which?
The German U21 national team, which was made smaller and weaker than other nations in the run-up to the European Championship, but then presented itself as a unit and achieved the maximum. And also the national ice hockey team. She was already enthusiastic at the Olympic Games and has now worked her way through to the semi-finals at the World Cup. That can’t ruin the 6-1 defeat in the game for third place. The following applies to the national soccer team: The way you appear is more important than the title. If it is correct, the Germans’ love for the national team will also return.
One problem: the hammer group, in which commitment and passion may not be enough.
Yes, an opening game against Hungary would of course be nicer and easier to get into the tournament. Anything can happen against France. If the German team comes in well, they can set an example. If that doesn’t work so well, the tournament can be over quickly. If the German team is already under pressure in the second game against Portugal, does not win again and then becomes even more insecure, a fate like 2018 threatens. But the national team cannot afford that again. It is all the more important that Löw makes the right decisions.
How should he with Joshua Kimmich? decide? He’s actually one of the most important midfielders, but may have to play on the outside. You know his dilemma from personal experience.
That’s true. I was a central midfielder in my playing career – but we had a similar problem on the right in the 1992 national team. National coach Berti Vogts had no alternative and trusted me with the position. First at the European Championships in 1992 at the start against Scotland – later again at the World Cup in 1994 for a game.
You even scored a goal in the 2-0 win against Scotland.
And yet it wasn’t my position. Of course, you can also exert influence on the right-hand side, but not to the extent that it is possible at headquarters – and to which you are used to. Anyone who is a regular and leading player at FC Bayern in the midfield center like Kimmich is currently, must also hold this position in the national team. Actually.
Actually?
It cannot be denied that the right side of defense is the weak point of the German national team. Joachim Löw, like Berti Vogts back then, has no real alternative. Whether Lukas Klostermann, Christian Günter, Niklas Süle or Emre Can – they all don’t really have the format for a European Championship in this position. And that’s why it’s probably the best option to move Kimmich there and in midfield. But only with his consent.
Loew should ask Kimmich?
Yes. It speaks for Kimmich if he agrees to play on the right back and to serve the team. It doesn’t speak for the national team that Kimmich has to play in this position. In the end, of course, the solution can only be that Löw decides from game to game in which position he needs Kimmich. Perhaps it will be like me back then that he will move into midfield for the second game.
Which first team do you expect apart from Kimmich?
Against France, Löw will have to field one more offensively thinking player and one more defensively thinking player. That can only mean that he has to sacrifice a player like Leroy Sané – just like Timo Werner. Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Kai Havertz should be the first choice in attack. Behind them Ilkay Gündogan and Toni Kroos.
The starting line-up from the last friendly against Latvia (7-1). So Stefan Effenberg would also go into the European Championship opening game. (Source: t-online / Heike Aßmann)
How do you rate the development of Sané?
In the first few months of his time at Bayern I was skeptical – now I’m definitely more optimistic. Sané has evolved and is working more backwards. To put it bluntly: He no longer waits 90 minutes for the one moment in which he can shine and score the goal. But he still has a long way to go. He has to take Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben as models. At first you thought primarily in one direction: forward. When they learned to work backwards, Bavaria became almost unbeatable. If Sané makes a similar development, he will have an equally great career. If he doesn’t learn that, he’ll be a Bayern player for another year or two – and away from the window again.
You are in a positive mood for the European Championship – but what if the tournament goes bad again?
That can of course happen and then lead to a really radical upheaval and a complete restart with the new coach Hansi Flick. For Neuer, Hummels, Müller or Kroos it could be the last tournament anyway. The next one is in one and a half years with the 2022 World Cup – but that can be a long one and a half years. An out in the preliminary round could accelerate a farewell and also make it necessary. But again: I am very optimistic that it will be a successful tournament.
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