Enlarge image
Mats Hummels and teammates in the national team's training camp
Photo:
Eibner press photo / Roger Buerke / imago images / Eibner
Less Watutinki, more Campo Bahia: National player Mats Hummels is enthusiastic about the atmosphere in the national team before the start of the European Football Championship.
"We have a much better atmosphere in the team than it was in 2018," said Hummels in an interview with ARD-Sportschau.
He has "much more the feeling that everyone is really pulling together."
After the historic preliminary round at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the main reasons for the failure were group formation and the somewhat desolate Watutinki district in southwest Moscow.
After the 2014 World Cup victory, however, an important role was attributed to the feeling of well-being in the legendary Campo Bahia.
The national team is currently based in the home of team supplier Adidas in Herzogenaurach.
Hummels claims to have already identified parallels to the feeling in Brazil: "The comparison is not flawed," he said.
“We can certainly pass the group.
And not just barely "
The DFB selection starts on Tuesday (TV: 9 p.m. / ZDF and in the stream on MagentaTV) in Munich against world champion France in the tournament.
Other group opponents are defending champions Portugal and Hungary.
Hummels wants to approach the games with the "right amount of self-confidence".
What does this measure look like?
According to Hummels: “If we play the way we can, we will definitely pass the group.
And not just barely.
We can also come out victorious. ”However, the“ blows to the neck of the last three years ”would have left their mark.
In November, the German team lost 6-0 to Spain, and it wasn't until April that they played a 2-1 win against North Macedonia in the World Cup qualifiers.
Hummels' recipe to avoid something similar at the EM: »It only works with 100 percent, with absolute passion.
Otherwise it is not enough at this level.
We know this."
Hummels himself was not there at these low points - he, like his Munich team-mate, had already been sorted out in March 2019 and only now been brought back to the EM.
Hummels cannot confirm that both are directly back as spokesmen in the team.
"My share of the speech on the square is significantly less than in Dortmund," he said.
In the DFB team there are »a lot of guys who go ahead and open their mouths.
The buck have to lead and take responsibility.
I can take a step back, which is not harmful either, as it always costs a bit of energy. "
luk / sid