Berlin (dpa) - Three Bundesliga teams have reached the knockout rounds of the Champions League and Europa League this season. In a dpa survey, those responsible for the German clubs comment on the status of the Bundesliga in a European comparison.
Questions: "What do you trust the German clubs in the Champions League and Europa League to do? Where does the Bundesliga stand in international comparison? How would you rate it that this year only clubs from the top leagues from England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France come to the knockout round of the premier class? "
Hansi Flick (FC Bayern Munich coach): "We don't need to hide much. I think the Bundesliga has shown that, especially in the international arena, we have teams that play football very well, that can act very dominantly. Internationally, we need not to hide us and therefore I am in good spirits that it goes in the right direction. "
Oliver Kahn (board member of FC Bayern Munich) about FC Bayern: "The performance in the Champions League was outstanding. Everything is possible."
Markus Krösche (Sports Director RB Leipzig): "I always find it difficult and not very sensible to make such a statement or classification of the Bundesliga in an international comparison if you take the period of one season as a basis. But I think that we are dealing with the Germans There is no need to hide teams in international comparison. The Bundesliga is not only an attractive address for top young players, it also speaks for the German league that it is more balanced than the other leagues mentioned. This is also one of the strengths of our league and shows how good the Bundesliga product is. "
Michael Zorc (Sport Director Borussia Dortmund): "It can be a snapshot. But it was in the past that only one or two teams from a smaller league were still in the last 16. The Bundesliga doesn't have to be at the top level You have to see whether there will be a team in the semifinals or finals again at the end. It often depends on the luck of the lot. "
Max Eberl (Sports Director Borussia Mönchengladbach): "The Bundesliga certainly doesn't have to hide internationally and is an outstanding competition."
Simon Rolfes (Sport Director Bayer Leverkusen): "I am convinced that the Bundesliga will also be represented in Europe in the next rounds. We have the quality to have a say in the Champions League and the Europa League until the end Bundesliga is one of the best leagues, as the UEFA five-year ranking alone says. With Gladbach, only one club has eliminated in the group stage this season. We are among the top in Europe, there is no reason to make ourselves small. "
Jochen Schneider (Sports Director Schalke 04): "I trust all three remaining German Champions League participants to reach the quarter-finals. After that, the luck of the day and the form of the day will be decisive nice to see two German clubs again in the semi-finals of the premier class. In the Europa League I trust all German clubs to go very far. Last season Eintracht Frankfurt showed just how great the Europa League can be It was exemplary. Overall, the German clubs are playing a very strong European Cup season. Gladbach was also very unlucky at the last minute. It is no surprise that only clubs from the five top leagues are represented in the round of 16 of the Champions League but the way things go. You may find that good or not, but the corresponding economic The prerequisites are fundamental for sustainable sporting success. "
Alexander Rosen (Head of Sports TSG 1899 Hoffenheim): "I stick to it, the Bundesliga is one of the strongest leagues in the world and is characterized by its enormous level of performance compared to others. The fact that the German teams also play a good role internationally is proof for the excellent work in the clubs, especially since the international competition is undisputedly pursuing some of them with much greater financial means. "
Jochen Saier (Sport Director SC Freiburg): "Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig are absolutely competitive internationally and they can be trusted a lot, even if all three face real top opponents in the round of 16. This trend will continue and consolidate - real surprises will come are very rare in the knockout round. "
Oliver Glasner (VfL Wolfsburg coach): "I trust the German clubs that at least they can reach the semi-finals in the Champions League. Similar to last year Eintracht Frankfurt, a German club can cause a sensation in the Europa League Well-known clubs from the Champions League are now in the knockout stage. The second question: This is evidence that the gap in international football is widening. In these leagues there are the greatest financial opportunities and therefore the best players . "
Stefan Reuter (Manager FC Augsburg): "It is a good performance when six out of seven German teams have spent the winter in the European Cup. This shows enormous sporting quality. It is a shame that Mönchengladbach was eliminated just shortly before the end, otherwise it would be all teams got ahead. Despite strong opponents in the knockout games, I still trust the teams to go far and also to win a title. "
Bruno Hübner (Sport Director Eintracht Frankfurt): "The Bundesliga doesn't have to hide at all in international comparison. Under the current conditions, a very good job is being done in Germany."
Oliver Ruhnert (Professional Soccer Director 1. FC Union Berlin): "In international comparison we have been of the opinion for years that we cannot keep up. Nevertheless, the Champions League has already gone to Germany - or German clubs were in the final There have always been successes in the Europa League. English football just has a lot more money at the moment. That is reflected. But German teams are also always able to win a title there. " (The third question in the complex): "This is the case this season. Last year Ajax Amsterdam was an exception. The exceptions are fewer overall. That speaks for the nations that have a lot of money at their disposal."
Michael Preetz (Managing Director Hertha BSC): "First of all, I find the number of German clubs in the knockout stage very gratifying. Six out of eight clubs that have started overwintered in international competitions, which is great. The duels in the Champions League against Chelsea , Paris and Tottenham are sure to be benchmarks, but in principle I trust all three German clubs to go through to the next round as well, and I think Frankfurt, Leverkusen and Wolfsburg will also be able to prevail, but in my opinion every round will emerge again that only the world clubs will speak the last word when they move into the final, but of course they always include Bayern Munich, who play with the same "weapons" in this league: among other things, also with a lot of money! "
Achim Beierlorzer (Mainz 05 coach): "The Bundesliga is one of the top leagues worldwide. I hope that the German teams in the Champions League and the Europa League will play as successfully in the knockout phase as in the group phase and hope that they get as far as possible. "
Lutz Pfannenstiel (Head of Sport Fortuna Düsseldorf): "In the Champions League, the German teams were given very difficult teams. But all three have the quality to go one round against these teams and after that everything is possible. See in the Europa League I think that two out of three teams get ahead. That only teams from the financially strongest leagues are in the knockout round is a completely normal development. This also shows that the gap is widening. The Bundesliga is after the Premier League, the best league in the world. "
Steffen Baumgart (coach SC Paderborn): "I trust the German teams to do everything in international competitions. Of course, England has now set itself apart with the TV money, but the quality of the German teams is still high."
Joachim Löw (national coach): "For the first time in a few years, one has the feeling that the German teams can make a difference internationally, that is, several teams. Leipzig, Dortmund or Bayern are sure to be able to advance the Champions League, the next steps it's good. In the Europa League we haven't got anywhere near the final for 20 years. From the highest level in the Champions League, the players also benefit from us at European and World Championships. That's why it's good if our players are represented there as long as possible. "
Christian Seifert (DFL boss): "We have improved in the international club competitions and we must continue on this path. It must be our aim that more than one German club appears regularly in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Europa League. The best 16 teams in Europe are a legitimate goal for the league with the second highest turnover in the world. "
Schedule Europa League
Schedule Champions League