The German national football team has achieved a real breakthrough. After the desolate 1:4 against Japan last Saturday, the DFB team defeated runner-up France 2:1 in their first game after parting ways with national coach Hansi Flick.
The celebrated man of the evening was interim national coach Rudi Völler, who took over the team for one game together with Hannes Wolf and Sandro Wagner.
The DFB players themselves were greatly relieved to have finally achieved a particularly emotionally important victory after three defeats in a row.
The German votes for victory against France
Rudi Völler (interim national coach): “The first half was a top performance. In the second half we fought wonderfully and stood stable. The 2-0 win was a relief for all of us. We played against a world-class team, you just have to say that. Even though it was just a friendly game for the French. But it’s still about a bit of prestige. They don’t like losing against Germany, I know that. It’s just good after the last defeats.”
Thomas Müller (national player): “It was clear to us that we had to do a lot of legwork. We had to improve our work ethic and suffer a lot. It wasn’t easy for us to endure this negative series, for which we ourselves are also responsible. Compliments to Rudi, Hannes Wolf and Sandro Wagner. We rewarded ourselves, that’s how fun it is. We still have a long way to go, but it was an emotional release.”
Marc-André ter Stegen (national player): “It was balm for the soul – both for the fans and for us. We really pushed ourselves, and people saw that. They were strange days – all the better that we were able to end it with a win. We wanted to go forward “We all have a structure that is relatively simple. Rudi got us in the mood for the game today, and in the end it worked.”
Benjamin Henrichs (national player): “The last few games weren’t what we wanted. We wanted to give new impetus, release new energy. It was a great feeling to be on the pitch. We were really prepared for the game and executed it well. That’s how fast things are going Football. Rudi, Hannes and Sandro have set us up well. I don’t have much say in what comes in the future.”
Jonathan Tah (national player): “Of course we wanted to show a different face than in Wolfsburg. What was important was that we were able to ignore everything that was happening around us, that we support each other, that we are there for each other and communicate. Rudi’s presence, his speech, his self-image – he was also successful in his career – helped us. Of course he had an influence on the team. Of course not everything was perfect, but in terms of commitment it was a top performance.”