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Belgium, Tedesco: “It’s true that developments in Germany are being questioned”

NAfter the successful start to the year against Peru, the German national soccer team will play another international match against Belgium in Cologne on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. / RTL). The respect for the Belgian team with top players like Kevin De Bruyne or Romelu Lukaku is great. The Belgians have been trained by former Bundesliga coach Domenico Tedesco since this year. Born in Italy, he has been the Belgium coach since February 8, having previously coached Aue, Schalke, Spartak Moscow and RB Leipzig.

Ask: Mr. Tedesco, you won the European Championship qualifier in Sweden 3-0 with Belgium. How do you rate your debut as national coach?

Dominic German: Of course it was a nice feeling. Big compliment to the team. Winning 3-0 in Sweden is anything but a matter of course. Despite that, we still saw some things that we can do better. But of course: the start was successful. That’s always important.

Ask: In addition to the three-time goalscorer Romelu Lukaku, Hertha’s Dodi Lukebakio was the most conspicuous player…

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Tedesco: Dodi had earned his starting eleven. He trained very well in the days leading up to the game and confirmed our impression from the analyses. Dodi has developed very well at Hertha and always provides impetus there, even when he comes off the bench. He has a very strong left foot, good technique and a lot of speed.

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Ask: At this On Tuesday you play Belgium in a friendly against Germany. Do you share the opinion of some experts that German football is on the ground after another World Cup preliminary round in Qatar in 2022?

Tedesco: Of course, leaving was painful. It is clear that there will also be criticism. But if you look at the games in detail, things should have gone differently for the Germans.

Ask: How come?

Tedesco: Because of the numerous scoring chances they had. Under normal circumstances, the opening game against Japan alone would have ended 4-1 or 4-2. Perhaps the course of the tournament would have been different. For me, German football is not on the ground. It’s enough to take a look at the players in the national team who are currently there, but also at those who are missing and moving up. Germany has so many young talents and top guys aged 23 or 24. Nevertheless, I think it’s right to question developments. For example, when it comes to training young people. You should get back to getting the street footballer mentality even more in the kids by just letting them play to encourage their creativity even more – and not forcing them into a tactical corset too early. So that they can assert themselves even better in one-on-one duels.

Ask: The EM will take place in Germany in 2024. Can the DFB-Elf hope to win the title?

Tedesco: To one hundred percent. I mentioned the reasons: Germany has an extremely high quality of players. And with Hansi Flick, an experienced coach who knows how to win titles.

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Ask: The longing for the first big success is also huge in Belgium…

Tedesco: That is normal. Belgium is a football crazy country. With the exception of the World Cup in Qatar, the national team has always performed well in recent years (Third place in the 2018 World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals at the 2016 and 2021 European Championships, the editors). But the focus is on qualifying for the European Championships next year.

Ask: You worked as a club coach for years, finished runners-up with Schalke in 2018 and won the DFB Cup with Leipzig in 2022. On February 8th you took over Belgium’s national team and turned down requests from Nice or Seville, also making cutbacks economically. What’s the appeal?

Tedesco: I generally don’t comment on specific clubs. But money is not my drive, I’m fine. The task appeals to me. Belgium has top players playing all over Europe. There is a multitude of talents for this. Something very exciting can grow there. After the World Cup disappointment, I want to help with the new start. Hopefully, the experience I’ve gained as a club coach will help me.

Ask: How do you become with world stars like Kevin de Bruyne from Manchester City or Thibaut Courtois from Real Madrid (missed due to slight adductor problems against Germany, the editors) evade?

Tedesco: I would like to respond individually to each player. The status doesn’t matter to me, it doesn’t suit me and the way I lead a team. I’m not going to do any activism either. That means: The best player in the respective position plays, and if he’s 30 years old or older, he’s still there. I’m also aware that I have a lot of very ambitious players. My job is to turn it into a well-functioning team.

Ask: Did winning the title with Leipzig help you become a Belgium coach?

Tedesco: If you can show success, that definitely helps. Since then, I’ve been perceived a little differently.

Ask: In Belgium, people have been talking about the “Golden Generation” since 2014 because the team has always had world-class players. At the World Cup in Qatar, however, the “Red Devils” failed in the preliminary round, stars like Eden Hazard and Axel Witzel resigned. Is this the end of the “Golden Generation”?

Tedesco: I’ve talked to some leaders about it. They told me that the term was not an issue internally. We have guys who are in their early or mid-20s and players like Kevin de Bruyne who is 31. He certainly doesn’t think the topic is over.

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Ask: Which football do you want to play?

Tedesco: I want possession and the game to be played in the opponent’s half. We have the players for this type of football. We have this power on offense. It remains to be seen whether everything will work the way we want it to. We need to get to know the guys better now.

Ask: What role does De Bruyne play in your concept?

Tedesco: He is a very important building block for us with his individual class. That’s what his teammates told me too.

Ask: There were rumors that De Bruyne was considering retiring after the disappointing World Cup in Qatar.

Tedesco: I didn’t get that impression when I spoke to him. On the contrary: He is looking forward to what is to come and is full of energy.

Ask: De Bruyne’s goal is to become world footballer. can he do it

Tedesco: Players who became world footballers mostly won big titles with the club or with the national team. He has the chance. Basically, Kevin de Bruyne brings everything with him. And you saw with Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi recently that this goal can also be achieved in the mid-30s.

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