Shkodran Mustafi became world champion with the DFB team in Brazil in 2014. Ten years later, the defender will report on the home European Championship as a MagentaTV expert. In the interview, the 31-year-old talks about his expectations of the German national team and reveals that he doesn’t want to hang up his football boots yet.
At the 2024 European Championships, Shkodran Mustafi will strengthen MagentaTV’s team of experts around Michael Ballack, Tabea Kemme and Co. As a 2014 world champion and professional footballer who has played in the top European leagues in Germany, England, Italy and Spain, the 31-year-old can score points with experience and expertise.
Our editorial team spoke to the defender about his expectations of the DFB team at the home European Championship, his personal plans for the future and his responsibilities as an expert for the streaming provider, which will broadcast all 51 European Championship games live.
Herr MustafiMagentaTV says it has put together a “national sports reporting team” for the 2024 European Championship, which includes you as well Michael Ballack will belong. As a professional you have never played with the “Capitano”, but as an expert you can now enjoy it. Is this a dream come true for you too?
Shkodran Mustafi: First of all, I really didn’t expect that I would be an expert at 31. And I actually didn’t hope so because I would have liked to have played a little longer. Unfortunately, my injuries put a damper on my plans. But now it’s a lot of fun to pass on my knowledge and experiences as an expert because it allows me to experience football again from a completely different perspective. I’m really looking forward to working with Michael Ballack, Tabea Kemme and Co. – they’re a great team.
Does it benefit you that you were on the pitch yourself until recently?
Yes, that is helpful. I think I can still understand quite well what is happening on the pitch or in the dressing room. I know the thoughts and feelings of a professional footballer from my own experience. I’m particularly excited about the atmosphere at this European Championship in my own country and hope for a very successful performance for the German team. It would be great if the summer fairytale feeling of 2006 were repeated. The country could really use it.
“He just needed time to settle in and find his feet in his new role.”
Mustafi about DFB coach Julian Nagelsmann
Of course, in order for this to happen, this also has to be the case DFB-Team deliver accordingly. After the disappointing end to 2023, many predicted a European Championship disaster for the team. Now we have two test match wins in March against France (2:0) and the Netherlands (2:1) was apparently enough to dream of the European Championship title. Where lies the truth?
For me personally, the truth is that we have a team that can compete for the title. We also have a coach in Julian Nagelsmann who I am convinced of. I think he can lead the team well. He just needed time to settle in and find his feet in his new role. There is a big difference whether you coach a club or a national team. As a national coach, you don’t have the boys at your side every day and you have less time to give the players tactical guidelines and a game idea. Against both France and Holland I saw Germany at a top level tactically and football-wise.
Hat Julian Nagelsmann Did everything right in his nomination, which was much discussed in advance?
Yes, I think he made the right nomination because he went based on the merit principle. Julian Nagelsmann nominated based on his current performance. Of course I was surprised that he invited so many new faces shortly before the tournament. But the boys are in a flow and that is very important with a view to a big tournament. Players who previously celebrated success in the club bring this atmosphere with them to the national team. In connection with Toni Kroos, who caused a certain euphoria in the country with his return, something seems to be growing together.
That’s why automatisms are extremely important for a tournament
Does the coach reach the newly arrived players better than the previously eliminated ones?
In these two games they took up and implemented what the coach asked of them. I haven’t seen a German national team combine things so freely and creatively in a long time. They have repeatedly achieved deals up front. Nevertheless, they worked well backwards and made things difficult for the opponents by getting the ball together at the back. You saw a unity on the pitch. And you could clearly see where the team wanted to go. For me this is particularly important because you can only play a successful tournament if you bring things to the pitch that you can repeat. The most beautiful dream goal doesn’t mean much if success is only based on chance and you can’t repeat it. In English football, these repetitions are called “patterns”.
Are you talking about automatisms?
You can put it that way, yes. Especially when things aren’t going well in a tournament, the team can hold on to these patterns or automatisms. Especially in difficult phases, it is important to remember moves that were successful. This is how you get back into the game. I saw moves like that against France and the Netherlands.
The national coach has emphasized several times that the door is not closed for anyone. But after the good performances in March she is for the Dortmund team who were not recently nominatedLeon Goretzka and Co. didn’t necessarily go any further, did they?
The past nomination clearly showed that the national coach makes his personnel decisions dependent on how the players perform. There are still a few months until the European Championships. For some, for example Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstädt, Chris Führich and Deniz Undav, it will be about maintaining their level – while Dortmund, who were recently not nominated, are hoping for a boost in the club. You cannot close the door because injuries can occur at any time. For the moment it was important to see that the automatisms were working and that we had the individual class to win against every opponent. The players who were there now proved that they deserved it. But there are many other players who deserve a call-up – and this competition is good for the team.
Luxury problem goalkeeper position and Sané’s lessons
Is for Leroy Sane, who was recently missing due to suspension, is there now any room in this functioning team? Be Appearance in Bayern’s 2-2 Champions League draw at Arsenal In any case, it was an application letter.
Leroy Sané is a highly talented footballer who can decide games. He is one of the best wingers in the world. Of course, he has to perform much more consistently at the top level he can play. I think it was quite good for him to see how the national team can function without him. I also think that this gives him the motivation he needs to give full throttle again to defend his regular place.
also read
Find it right, that Nagelsmann has decided on Manuel Neuer as number one in goal? Marc-André ter Stegen also does a great job.
We have always had a luxury problem in the goalkeeper position in Germany. Our number two or three would certainly be the clear number one in many other national teams. Manuel Neuer is no longer the youngest and has had some serious injuries. But if he is 100 percent fit, Julian Nagelsmann will no longer shake his decision to start the European Championship with him as number one. One of the findings from the past test matches is that in Marc-André ter Stegen we have a number two who works just as well. In my opinion he is on the same level as Neuer.
They became world champions in 2014 Brazil. This successful team is the only one left Neuer, Kroos and Thomas Müller along with it. What can today be? DFB-Team copy the world champions from ten years ago?
If there’s anything you can learn from the 2014 World Champions, it’s sticking together in every situation at every point in the tournament. The tournament won’t always go the way you hope and the games won’t always be as nice as you imagine. It’s important to stick together as a team. Individually, each individual must want to move forward, especially in the difficult moments.
As a professional you have five years FC Arsenal spent. Last season the “Gunners” at the end from Manchester City in the fight for the championship intercepted. Is your former club through this year?
Arsenal had a very good year in 2023, but unfortunately didn’t manage to pull it off in the end. But they have shown what they are capable of. And I believe that they have learned from the past year. If you want to become champions in England, you have to be able to get points away from home against top clubs like Manchester City or Liverpool FC. Arsenal can do that. In my opinion, they are ready to take the final step this year. You are in the flow. Even though, as an ex-Arsenal player, I personally would like the Gunners to win the title, objectively speaking, Jürgen Klopp would also like to say goodbye to the title. “Kloppo” had a huge career and achieved incredible things at Liverpool.
Mustafi is working on a professional comeback: “I have the confidence to do it”
What will happen next for you after the European Championships? Do you want to continue working as an expert, pursue a coaching career or perhaps lace up your own football boots again?
Although I’m turning 32 this month, I still think I’m young enough and still have enough energy and motivation to attack again. This would be my biggest wish. I know that my situation is not that easy. If you’re outside for a long time, find your way back in. But I trust myself. I’m also really enjoying working as an expert at the moment because I really enjoy it. Many things that were previously only seen from the player’s perspective can now be seen from a different perspective. This helps me to understand a lot of things better. There is also a lot of interest in seeing a coach’s perspective. That’s why I’ll definitely get my trainer’s license at some point in the future. This is also something that really excites me.
About the interlocutor
- Shkodran Mustafi is a German professional footballer who was under contract in the largest European leagues. Among other things, the 31-year-old played in the Italian Seria A for Sampdoria Genoa, in the Spanish La Liga for FC Valencia and for UD Levante, in the Bundesliga for Schalke 04 and in the English Premier League for five years for Arsenal FC . Mustafi celebrated his greatest success in 2014 in the jersey of the DFB team that became world champions in Brazil. The ex-national player will be working as an expert for MagentaTV at the home European Championships in 2024. Telekom’s streaming service broadcasts all 51 games of the European Championship live, five of them exclusively. One of MagentaTV’s three EM channels will open its doors on April 15th.
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2024-04-16 15:00:25
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