Bastian Schweinsteiger was an up-and-coming youngster when the national team last played a major tournament on home soil. The midfielder was not only part of the summer fairytale at the 2006 World Cup, but also went on to have a great career that would see him become world champion in 2014. Today, the 39-year-old works as an expert for ARD. Here Schweinsteiger assesses the situation ahead of the European Championship.
Ask: Mr. Schweinsteiger, ten years ago Germany became world champions with you. Where are we today?
Bastian Schweinsteiger: Not so high up anymore. After the big title we were number one in the world rankings and had done well in the tournaments before that. That’s why the situation before the European Championship is a little different than it was ten years ago. But you have a great chance to win back a lot in your own country. We were able to experience that in 2006, and sparking enthusiasm is almost more important than winning the title.
Ask: What does that mean?
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Schweinsteiger: Even if we are eliminated in the quarter-finals, but play great football and the national team manages to win back the hearts of the fans, then we have achieved a lot.
Ask: How far will Germany go?
Schweinsteiger: I hope we make it to the quarter-finals. A good start against Scotland would be extremely important. If you start with a win there, you’ll be on a wave of euphoria that you’ll have to ride with. Like we did in 2006 with the 4-2 win against Costa Rica.
Schweinsteiger with national coach Nagelsmann
Quelle: Getty Images/Alex Grimm
Ask: What do you think of the contract extension with national coach Julian Nagelsmann before the European Championships?
Schweinsteiger: On the one hand, it was the right decision because you secured a great national coach. I don’t know whether the timing was right. If you are eliminated after the group stage, then you as the DFB will certainly question it again. I didn’t see any great time pressure. I would have rather watched the European Championship, how everything was going and then sat down and looked at whether we would continue or not. But perhaps one side or the other didn’t want it that way.
Ask: Would it have made a difference to you as a player if the coach had been a lame duck?
Schweinsteiger: As a player, I never found it stressful not knowing whether Jogi Löw would continue or not. It didn’t matter.
Ask: Toni Kroos has returned to the national team. How has he changed, even since the days when you two played together?
Schweinsteiger: Toni has of course had both good and bad experiences with the national team at tournaments. He has seen both sides. Compared to 2014, Toni has improved a lot, especially against the ball. It started back then. I really like the way he tackles. We know that Toni is an excellent player with the ball. When he gets his space, he is like a quarterback. Of course, when someone steps on his feet, it becomes more difficult for Toni. Then others have to step in.
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Ask: Who are you thinking of?
Schweinsteiger: Since Joshua Kimmich is now playing as a right-back, you need a defensive six like Robert Andrich, Emre Can or Pascal Groß to hold the position. That is extremely important.
Ask: Did his return surprise you?
Schweinsteiger: The national coach and Toni have the same agent. As a player, he also saw an opportunity to improve the record after the poor tournaments of recent years. He has the chance to show everyone, because it is true that we in Germany have not always valued Toni or he has been neglected. That naturally gives you as a player the motivation to prove yourself to everyone. His return is completely understandable to me, although I would not have thought he would do it.
Ask: What significance do Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala have in your opinion?
Schweinsteiger: It is extremely important for us that they are both on the pitch, with the way they play football. I’m not just talking about football with the ball, but also against the ball. They both impress me in that respect. You simply notice the difference whether they are on the pitch or not. When both are playing at their best, we are a completely different team.
Ask: Do you trust them both?
Schweinsteiger: Wirtz and Musiala are still very young, but both have already had the opportunity to gain experience at the highest level. I hope that the players who have already played in several major tournaments will put them in the right position on the pitch and also put them in the right position mentally. So that they understand how important it is. Personally, I’m not worried about that.
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Ask: Kimmich is deployed as a right-back. How would you have reacted if you had been moved somewhere else?
Schweinsteiger: With Joshua, we know how well he can play as a right-back. That’s a luxury problem in midfield. If we’d had a top right-back, the situation would of course have been different for Joshua. But we don’t have one at the moment. So Nagelsmann had to look at how he could improve the team as a whole. It didn’t work out so well when Joshua played in the middle. That’s why I think Joshua is excellent on the right side. At Bayern, he also participates in the game with the ball. That’s hugely important because he can give us an incredible amount of good impetus.
Ask: The central defence was a work in progress for a long time. Has this been resolved now with Antonio Rüdiger and Jonathan Tah?
Schweinsteiger: The way the two of them played, they worked very well together. Tah also benefited from knowing players like Andrich from Leverkusen. Toni Kroos drops back when he has the ball and then the three of them build up the game. Personally, I think Nico Schlotterbeck did very well in the important games. He gives the team a lot, including with his strong left foot. I personally like this type of player a lot. You just have to guide him a little and then he will perform consistently. But I think with Jonathan Tah, who has developed incredibly well at Leverkusen, and Antonio Rüdiger, you already have two fixed points.
Ask: England is the favorite with the bookmakers. Who do you think has the best chances?
Schweinsteiger: France, England and Croatia. France simply has the best squad. Let’s see if the greed is still there. Recently in international matches they haven’t had that much. I’m counting on the English because of players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. With them they can have the belief that they can win something. Croatia has been off the radar a bit over the last few years, but they’ve always been at least in the semi-finals. The surprise team for me would clearly be Austria. Unfortunately Alaba and Schlager have been injured. That hurts them. But they’re a team that’s extremely difficult to play against.
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The interview was conducted for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in SPORT BILD.
