Thursday 24 July 2014

Löw: "I'm as motivated now as I was on my first day at the DFB", 23.07.2014

Joachim Löw has finally had a few days to retreat and let the events of the World Cup in Brazil sink in. Having done that, the national coach gave an interview to DFB.de to discuss this summer's tournament, the team's welcome in Berlin, Philipp Lahm’s retirement, his future at the DFB and his new assistant.

DFB.de: Mr Löw, you've been back in Germany for a week and a half now. Have you had enough time to digest what you achieved at the World Cup?

Joachim Löw: We won the trophy in Brazil, a success that is and remains the result of an incredible team performance. As far as digesting it is concerned, yes, I'm aware that we became world champions, and that’s an indescribably wonderful feeling. I haven't been able to properly process these emotions yet, even though the welcome we received in Berlin gave us an idea of the enthusiasm we inspired in Germany among our fellow Germans. It fills us all with such joy to know that our performances and, ultimately, our success in Brazil generated such happiness here at home.

DFB.de: How and where did you spend the next few days after your homecoming in Berlin?

Löw: I was at home in Freiburg, and I think it took me a little while to come down from everything that happened in Brazil. In those first few days I was still thinking so much about the tournament; all the sights and sounds continued to resonate with me. From the start of our tournament preparations in South Tyrol, we were together as a squad for almost nine weeks, and the whole time the eyes and expectation of the country and the world were on us. Although I enjoyed the various stages of the tournament, they were extremely draining, particularly mentally. That’s why I made sure I could step away for a while directly after the tournament and spend time unwinding with family and friends.

DFB.de: News of Philipp Lahm's retirement came as a surprise to many. Did you have any idea that your captain was preparing to take his leave?

Löw: No, Philipp only told me at breakfast on the morning after the final. His retirement is a great loss for us both from a personal and sporting perspective. I could not have wished for a better captain. He did an incredible job of shaping, leading and representing the national team, so it's a great shame that he won’t be available for Die Mannschaft in future. That said, I accept and respect his decision. Philipp has worked hard for this success for the past decade and we have nothing but thanks to give him for that.

DFB.de: As there has been no word from you in recent days concerning your own future, speculation has been mounting that you might also be contemplating stepping down in the hour of your greatest success.

Löw: I didn't think about any of that for a moment and was only sticking to what we had agreed before the World Cup – that after the tournament we would sit down together in peace and analyse our campaign, just as we have done after every other competition. I didn't extend my contract with DFB until 2016 just to terminate it prematurely, but of course everyone knows that developments can gather a momentum of their own in the wake of a World Cup. I simply needed a couple of days to let everything sink in, process all the emotions and then begin looking ahead to the next challenge. As national team coach, I have always been aware of the immense confidence placed in my by the DFB, and President Wolfgang Niersbach is representative of the exceptional support the national team has received and continues to receive. Personally, I cannot think of a better DFB President; he has always believed in us and helped us to focus on the task in hand. Now he has given me a few days' break, understanding completely that it is simply what I need at this point.

DFB.de: To make it clear once and for all then – will you definitely be coaching the national team at EURO 2016 in France?

Löw: Yes – right now I can't imagine anything better than working with that team again, taking them to the European Championship in France and continuing to develop the individual players within the squad. I'm as motivated now as on my first day with the DFB. We celebrated a huge triumph in Brazil, but there are still other ambitions we want to achieve. The 2014 World Cup was a highlight for everybody but it is not the end of the story by any means.

DFB.de: That is not quite true of all of your staff. You're losing your most important partner, assistant coach Hansi Flick. His successor has yet to be announced – when you do expect that to happen?

Löw: Brazil wasn't the end of the story for Hansi Flick either. He'll continue to play an important role for the national team in future, this time as the DFB's sporting director. Hansi and I have formed a real friendship over the years, and I've often emphasised that we collaborated phenomenally well. The same is true of Oliver Bierhoff and Andreas Köpke, who will fortunately remain part of our team. As for Hansi’s successor, I don't feel any particular pressure or need to rush into an announcement; we've still got time to work things out. I've got some ideas about it, and each of us now needs to make sure we take full advantage of our upcoming holidays to think long and hard about the tasks ahead of us. We'll find good solutions for every issue; all I can say right now is that I'm incredibly excited about the weeks and months ahead.

23 July 2014
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Wednesday 16 July 2014

Löw: "Dieses tiefe Glücksgefühl wird auf ewig bleiben", 14.07.2014

Sepp Herberger, Helmut Schön, Franz Beckenbauer und Joachim Löw. Der Bundestrainer hat sich mit dem gewonnenen WM-Finale gegen Argentinien (1:0 n.V.) in die Reihe der deutschen Trainerlegenden eingefunden. Auf DFB.de lässt der 54-Jährige den Riesentriumph revue passieren und wirft einen Blick nach vorne.

Frage: Herr Löw, können Sie schon einigermaßen realisieren, was Sie und Ihr Team erreicht haben?

Joachim Löw: Der Druck und die Erwartungshaltung waren schon hoch. Man kann das alles erst einmal gar nicht realisieren, das wird etwas dauern. Aber dieses tiefe Glücksgefühl wird auf ewig bleiben.

Frage: Was hat zu diesem WM-Titel geführt?

Löw: Dieser unglaubliche Teamgeist, dieser Spirit - gepaart mit unglaublichem Können und Willenskraft. Ich bin sehr stolz auf die Mannschaft, wir alle können sehr stolz sein. Wir sind jetzt auch die ersten Europäer, die hier in Südamerika einen Titel gewonnen haben.

Frage: Wie groß war Ihre Zuversicht, dass es klappt?

Löw: Wir haben dieses Projekt vor zehn Jahren gestartet mit Jürgen Klinsmann. Wir haben uns kontinuierlich gesteigert. Ich wusste, dass diese Champions diesen letzten Schritt machen und das zu Ende bringen. Wenn es jemand verdient hat, dann diese Mannschaft mit Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Mertesacker, Klose oder Podolski. Es gab nur einen verdienten Sieger, diese Mannschaft. Wir waren über die sieben Spiele die beste Mannschaft. Es ist ein besonderes Glücksgefühl.

Frage: Bastian Schweinsteiger spielte sogar mit einer Platzwunde weiter. Stand er sinnbildlich für diesen Titel?

Löw: Das Team wurde von einem überragenden Schweinsteiger und einem überragenden Lahm angeführt. Was sie gelaufen sind: Unglaublich. Ich habe der Mannschaft schon vor dem Spiel gesagt: Ihr müsst soviel geben wie noch nie, dann werdet ihr auch das erreichen, was ihr noch nie hattet.

Frage: Was haben Sie Mario Götze bei seiner Einwechslung mit auf den Weg gegeben?

Löw: Ich habe ihm gesagt: Zeige der ganzen Welt, dass du besser bist als Messi. Ich hatte ein gutes Gefühl. Er ist zu allem fähig. Götze kann alles spielen, er ist ja auch ein Wunderkind. Er hat fantastische Möglichkeiten. Das Tor hat er hervorragend gemacht. Ich wusste, dass er ein Spiel entscheiden kann.

Frage: Sie haben am Schluss noch Per Mertesacker gebracht. War dies auch eine Geste?

Löw: Natürlich sollte er auch die Defensive stabilisieren. Per, aber auch Lukas Podolski stehen sinnbildlich für das, was wir erreicht haben. Auch wenn sie mal nicht gespielt haben: Sie haben Großartiges für die Mannschaft geleistet.

Frage: Wie sehen Sie die Perspektiven?

Löw: Dieser Titel wird uns auch für die Zukunft einen Schub geben. Einige Spieler sind noch sehr jung. Bei Miroslav Klose muss man mal sehen. Ihm ist alles zuzutrauen, vielleicht spielt er ja noch vier Jahre. Wir haben auf jeden Fall noch viele junge Spieler, die noch einiges bewegen können.

14 July 2014
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Sunday 13 July 2014

Löw: "Ein packendes Finale auf Augenhöhe", 12.07.2014

Die Spannung steigt. Noch einmal schlafen, dann findet am Sonntag (ab 21 Uhr MESZ, live in der ARD) bereits das dritte WM-Finale in der Historie zwischen Deutschland und Argentinien statt. 26 1/2 Stunden vor dem Anstoß im legendären Maracanã stand Bundestrainer Joachim Löw auf der obligatorischen FIFA-Pressekonferenz Rede und Antwort. DFB.de hat die wichtigsten Aussagen zusammengefasst.

JOACHIM LÖW ÜBER...

... seine Erwartungshaltung vor dem Finale: Das wird ein packendes Finale auf Augenhöhe, ein unglaublicher Fight. Aber wenn wir unser Spiel durchziehen, werden wir gewinnen.

... eine mögliche Favoritenrolle nach dem Halbfinale: Wir dürfen das Spiel gegen Brasilien nicht als Maßstab nehmen. Wer das tut, hat sich mit Argentinien nicht beschäftigt.

... Gegner Argentinien und Lionel Messi: Argentinien ist nicht nur Messi. Wer das denkt, ist auf dem Holzweg. Sie haben auch viele andere herausragende Spieler in der Offensive wie Higuain, Di Maria oder Agüero. Messi hat natürlich besondere Fähigkeiten. Aber darauf sind wir eingestellt. Wir haben Respekt, aber keine Angst.

... möglichen Druck auf seine Person: Für mich persönlich ist das nicht die größte Herausforderung. Da gab es schon ganz andere Spiele, die sehr wichtig waren.

... die Tatsache als erster Europäer in Südamerika Weltmeister werden zu können: Uns ist bewusst, dass wie Geschichte schreiben können. Das wäre natürlich eine tolle Sache, wenn wir das schaffen.

... das Szenario einer Niederlage: Bei einer Niederlage würde nicht alles in Asche liegen. Diese Mannschaft und der deutsche Fußball haben Zukunft. Darum ist mir nicht bange. Wir haben Spieler, die auf ihrem Zenit spielen. Wir haben aber auch viele junge Spieler, die eine große Zukunft vor sich haben. Wir haben auch künftig das Potenzial, weltspitze zu sein.

12 July 2014
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Thursday 10 July 2014

Joachim Löw: "We've got to keep things in perspective", 09.07.2014

Just one match stands between Germany and a fourth star on their shirts after "Die Mannschaft" reached the World Cup final with a resounding 7-1 defeat of hosts Brazil on Tuesday night. National coach Joachim Löw discussed the impressive semi-final win with DFB.de but warned against euphoria ahead of Sunday's final (live on ARD from 21:00 CEST).

Question: What's your reaction to your team's incredible semi-final win?

Joachim Löw: It feels very good, of course. We won and reached the final and that was our aim, but we've got to put the win into context.

Question: How did this convincing victory come about?

Löw: It was important to counter Brazil's passion and emotion with calmness and detachment, as well as to be bold and play to our strengths, and we did that well. Scoring early in the game naturally played into our hands too. Brazil were clearly shocked after we went 2-0 up and had no answers to what was happening. We exploited that feeling of insecurity ruthlessly. Every single player performed extremely well and with total focus.

Question: How would you rate this result?

Löw: There has never been a result like this in a World Cup semi-final. We know that, but it’s just one result. We've got to keep things in perspective. We know Brazil weren’t on their best form today, so we’ve got to show humility.

Question: What was the mood like in the dressing room?

Löw: It was good but not too exuberant. Of course, we're all happy with this win but nobody is getting carried away.

Question: Can you explain how the World Cup hosts suffered such a dip in form?

Löw: Perhaps the pressure was simply too great. The team may have been paralysed by the weight of expectation in their own country. We know that feeling from our own experience in 2006. For that reason, I sympathise with my fellow coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, with the Brazilian team and all the Brazilian people.

Question: How will you approach Sunday's final at the Maracanã?

Löw: That will be a completely different game and a uniquely difficult task no matter who we face. Argentina and the Netherlands are both exceptional teams with very good individual players. I'm thinking primarily of Arjen Robben when it comes to the Dutch.

Question: How will you prepare your team for the final over the next few days?

Löw: It's important that the team now have a couple of days to recharge their batteries, but we've also got to stay calm and fully focused. I'm not worrying too much about that though. I know the team are keeping their feet on the ground. Players should never feel invincible, but I certainly believe this team is completely ready to take that final step.

Question: What's your view on Miroslav Klose's World Cup record?

Löw: That record means so much to all of us. Although it's a record Thomas Müller could break again one day, right now Miro should enjoy this moment. It’s an exceptional achievement for him, and if anyone deserves it, it's Miro.

9 July 2014
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Tuesday 8 July 2014

Löw ahead of semi-final: "We’re not finished yet", 07.07.2014

Football is on everyone’s lips in Germany at the moment. The nation is utterly absorbed by events in Brazil and the excitement, expectancy, nervousness and hope are practically tangible. A huge event is just around the corner: Germany are in the World Cup semi-finals against the hosts in Belo Horizonte tomorrow (live on ZDF from 10 pm CET). You’d expect the man in charge to be feeling all these emotions and more, but Joachim Löw is in fact completely relaxed, as his sense of great anticipation leaves no room for pressure and tension.

Tomorrow is the big day. Today, the Germany head coach talks to reporter Steffen Lüdeke in the DFB.de Interview of the Week about his team, the World Cup in Brazil and the game against the hosts.

DFB.de: Joachim Löw, first things first: congratulations on reaching the World Cup semi-finals.

Joachim Löw: Thank you.

DFB.de: My pleasure. Congratulations too on taking top spot in the next FIFA world rankings. What does that mean to you?

Löw: That’s not particularly important to me at the moment. I’m not interested in being top of a list. I’m only interested in winning this tournament. You don’t win anything with facts and figures.

DFB.de: Nevertheless the position in the world rankings comes from good results in the last few years. In 31 competitive games since 2010, i.e. qualifying fixtures and tournament matches, your team has won 28, drawn two and lost just once.

Löw: I’ve not really been aware of the stats but Wolfgang Niersbach pointed it out to me recently. Obviously I’m happy about that as we’ve been able to give people lots of pleasure thanks to our wins and attractive style of play. It’s been like that at all the tournaments. Germany have made it at least as far as the semi-finals at all of the past four World Cups. That says a lot for consistency and continuity and the fact the team has been playing at the highest level for years.

DFB.de: How high do you rate your chances of making it to the Final?

Löw: We all know how strong Brazil are. The hosts were favourites from the start and their players have looked comfortable in that role up to now. The Brazilians showed in last year’s Confederations Cup that the expectation of the people gives them an extra boost. Pressure doesn’t get on top of them and they’ve given the fans what they wanted. That’s great for the whole tournament. It’s good for the hosts to be in the competition for so long. But we’re confident too. Over the course of the tournament we’ve become solid and stable both physically and mentally. We’ll prepare well and certainly give Brazil a game. The chances are even. Little differences will be decisive in seeing who reaches the Final.

DFB.de: Brazil are without Neymar and Thiago Silva. Does that improve the chances for your team?

Löw: Firstly, I feel incredibly sorry for Neymar. He’s a great player and it’s a terrible blow and bad luck that he’s sidelined, for him, his team, and the whole nation. I hope he’s back on the pitch as soon as possible and reacts positively to this setback. We all want see the best players at the World Cup and, as a player, you always want to compete with the best. It’s a pity for Brazil to be missing two of their best players but I think they can make up for it. Setbacks often provide new impetus. Nobody should think the absence of Neymar will make our job easier, quite the opposite. And the suspension of Thiago Silva shows the depth of the Seleção squad. Felipe Scolari can bring in a player like Dante so I don’t think there will be any loss of quality.

DFB.de: It’s not just Brazil who are missing some of their key players. There are a few players sidelined who could have been in your starting eleven, such as Holger Badstuber, Ilkay Gündogan, Mario Gomez and Lars Bender. And then you lost Marco Reus just before the tournament.

Löw: I also feel incredibly sorry for the players who could have been in our squad if they were fit. But there’s no point in thinking about who’s missing and who might have been able to help us. I don’t bother with all that. I’ve every confidence in all the members of the squad here in Brazil and I’m fully focused on these players. They’re incredibly motivated and disciplined and there’s an outstanding team spirit in the camp. It’s a great pleasure working with this group. We’re not done with our joint project yet.

DFB.de: The problem this time round was calling up a number of players to the squad who were not fully fit or who lacked match practice - Sami Khedira after his torn cruciate, Bastian Schweinsteiger after his ankle injury and the recurrent problems with his tendons.

Löw: You always have to balance opportunities and risks. I knew the quality of both players would be very important to us. We knew from the start it would take time to get Sami and Bastian up to speed with the way of playing and level here in Brazil. We had another option with Philipp Lahm playing in midfield. He’s done brilliantly in that position at Bayern. For us, it’s always a matter of weighing up before each game what’s best for the team in a certain situation at a particular time. As coaches we work with the players day-in, day-out on the pitch, we speak to them and watch them. Then we make our decisions.

DFB.de: In the game against Algeria you reacted on 70 minutes by moving Philipp Lahm from midfield to right-back. The captain also played at right-back against France.

Löw: Philipp is an absolutely world class player and versatility and flexibility are two of his main strengths. I’m also happy we’ve got a lot of players who can play in different positions. Jérôme Boateng and Benedikt Höwedes have demonstrated that admirably in defence. It’s obvious we should use these strengths to benefit the team. It’s exactly those characteristics that the coaches and the whole of the squad need if we’re to succeed at this level. Versatility and flexibility have taken us to the last four in the World Cup. And let there be no doubt: we still have other options.

DFB.de: Are you aware of the debate in Germany about what’s the best position for Philipp Lahm?

Löw: Of course, I pick that sort of thing up even though I don’t read that much. But I never let that influence my decision making. It’s normal and understandable for people to talk about it. That’s all part of football. This sport lives from the fact that everybody has something to say and there are so many ways of looking at things. I’m glad the national team is being talked about. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion and it’s fun talking about football. It’s no different for us within the camp. I follow a particular line and I won’t change it to suit public opinion or just to fit in with a certain view. We make changes when we think changes are needed after our impressions from matches and training sessions plus the analysis of how we feel. As I said: we always take into consideration what’s best for the team in a particular situation.

DFB.de: Do you talk to the players about the various options in picking the team?

Löw: Of course, I speak to the players a lot, particularly the senior players. The players have to put our ideas and instructions into practice, they have to identify and believe in it. They need to understand why we adopt a particular approach. Today’s generation are trained to think tactically and they want tactical input. To put it bluntly: my main discussions are obviously with Hansi Flick and Andy Köpke. Oliver Bierhoff also helps out sometimes. But at the end of the day it’s me who makes the decisions. Sometimes I just have to follow my own intuition.

DFB.de: You’ve already competed in a lot of tournaments and prepared for a number of big games. But this is in Brazil, against Brazil. You can’t have experienced a bigger game up to now, surely?

Löw: It is a highlight, something very special and outstanding. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s the same for everybody involved with the German team and I think all of Germany shares that view. One thing is certain: we definitely want to play one more game in Rio at the Maracanã Stadium, on 13 July. We’re not finished yet.

7 July 2014
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Monday 7 July 2014

Joachim Löw: "Wir versuchen jetzt, den nächsten Schritt zu machen", 04.07.2014

Viertes WM-Halbfinale in Folge, dritter WM-Sieg gegen Frankreich hintereinander. Nach dem 1:0 im Viertelfinale in Rio de Janeiro gegen die "Équipe tricolore" fehlt noch eine Station auf der erneuten Reise ins Finale. Bundestrainer Joachim Löw spricht auf DFB.de über die umkämpfte Partie und die kommenden Aufgaben.

Frage: Herr Löw, warum haben Sie Philipp Lahm wieder nach hinten gezogen?

Joachim Löw: In der Analyse von Frankreich haben wir gesehen, dass durch das Zentrum kaum etwas möglich ist. Deshalb gab es die Überlegung mit Philipp auf rechts. Wir wollten über die Außenpositionen mehr bewirken. Das hatte einen taktischen Hintergrund. Und ich hatte das Gefühl gehabt, für das Spiel einen neuen Reiz zu setzen. Dass Philipp das sehr gut macht, ist auch schon länger bekannt.

Frage: Bedeutet das auch für das Halbfinale, dass Philipp Lahm auf der rechten Seite bleibt?

Löw: Das weiß ich jetzt nicht. Für mich ist wichtig zu sehen, wie die Spieler das verkraften. Einige Spieler mussten absolut ans Limit. Jetzt heißt es, die Kräfte zu bündeln. Wir müssen das aus den Knochen schütteln und uns regenerieren. Dann schauen wir mal weiter.

Frage: Wie beurteilen Sie das Spiel?

Löw: Beide Mannschaften haben in der Defensive eine sehr gute Leistung gezeigt. Wir haben gegen starke Offensive wenig zugelassen, haben aber auch bis auf die Endphase selbst nicht so viele Chancen gehabt. Aber wir waren immer eng an den Gegenspielern, waren sehr aufsässig, saßen den Franzosen ständig im Nacken und haben sie im Mittelfeld bearbeitet.

Frage: Warum haben Sie auf Per Mertesacker verzichtet?

Löw: Es war eine taktische Überlegung mit Jerome Boateng und Mats Hummels zu spielen, weil Benzema, Valbuena oder Griezmann gerne in den Halbräumen spielen und schnell sind. Ich habe ihm das am Abend vor dem Spiel gesagt. Per hat super reagiert. Er ist wichtig für uns.

Frage: Inwiefern haben die Temperaturen eine Rolle gespielt?

Löw: Für uns ist das natürlich nicht einfach. Da steht die Luft, da kann man fast nicht atmen, es war schon wahnsinnig drückend. Das sind wir als Europäer nicht so gewohnt. Da ist es schwierig, ständig die Kontrolle zu bewahren und die Konzentration hochzuhalten. Da passieren auch mal Fehler, weil die Spieler müde werden.

Frage: Was erwarten Sie vom Halbfinale?

Löw: Das wird man sehen, wie es weitergeht. Das sind alles Top-Mannschaften. Aber wir haben von 31 Pflichtspielen 28 gewonnen. Das ist schon eine besondere Leistung. Wir versuchen jetzt, den nächsten Schritt zu machen. Die Mannschaft ist gefestigt, stabil und verkraftet auch mal ein Spiel wie gegen Algerien.

4 July 2014
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Thursday 3 July 2014

Löw: "We'll be well prepared", 01.07.2014

Germany have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil. After his side's 2-1 extra-time win against Algeria, national coach Joachim Löw spoke to DFB.de about the last-16 thriller, his team's performance and upcoming opponents France.

Question: How do you feel after that last-16 thriller against Algeria?

Joachim Löw: After a game like that, you first have to stop and take a deep breath. Ultimately, it was a victory for willpower. Of course, I'm glad we have made it into the next round.

Question: Why did Germany have so much difficulty facing Algeria?

Löw: We struggled in the first half and lost a lot of possession, but we were the better team in the second half and in extra time. We had plenty of chances, but their goalkeeper excelled himself and put in an outstanding performance. He thoroughly deserved to be named 'Man of the Match'.

Question: But you can't be satisfied with your team's performance…

Löw: I'm not happy with our inability to convert chances, with our efficiency. We know we can play better than that, but when you play badly, you don't create any good opportunities. You can't play fantastically in every match. Today we weren't fantastic, but we won, and that's very important if you want to go far in this competition. Other teams like Brazil have also struggled and only managed to progress to the next round with their last penalty kick.

Question: After Shkodran Mustafi's injury, you moved Philipp Lahm back to right-back and placed Sami Khedira beside Bastian Schweinsteiger. Does this suddenly give you another option for the rest of the tournament?

Löw: Flexibility is one of our strengths. Today we used fresh players who helped the team, like Khedira and Schürrle. Now we've got to give the players one or two days of rest, then we'll think about our options. My personal decisions will also depend on Schweinsteiger and Khedira's fitness, as neither has been able to play a full 90 minutes yet.

Question: Why did Mustafi and Schweinsteiger have to be substituted?

Löw: Unfortunately, Mustafi suffered a thigh injury and won't be able to take any further part in this tournament. Bastian had cramp, but it's not that serious.

Question: What's your verdict on Manuel Neuer's performance?

Löw: He performed exceptionally well. His reading of the game was incredible. He acted like a sweeper and defused a lot of precarious situations whenever the Algerians played the long ball through the channels. He didn't have much to do on his goalline, but he showed his talent outside the penalty area tonight.

Question: Your team will face formidable quarter-final opponents in the shape of France. How do you rate your next opponents?

Löw: Of course, they're a very strong side who have gone from strength to strength under Didier Deschamps. Our matches against France have always been particularly volatile but we'll be as well prepared as ever.

1 July 2014
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