Assistant coach - "Eagerness to Go Home": Hinkel anticipates coming back to Belgium
As the head German assistant coach for the Belgian football team, Andreas Hinkel can't help but feel enthusiastic about the upcoming European Championship and the opportunity to stay in his homeland, Germany, for the tournament. Not only does his team set up camp in Stuttgart, where he and head coach Domenico Tedesco have strong connections, but they'll also be playing one of their group matches in Stuttgart against Ukraine on June 26. The matches in Group E will take place in Frankfurt and Cologne, with Belgium facing off against Slovakia and Romania.
In a recent interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten, the 42-year-old coach shared his excitement: "It's basically crazy to play in this European Championship with such talented players in Germany, and then have a group match right in front of our own front door. This is something really special for me."
During the tournament, the Belgian team will be based in Ludwigsburg. Hinkel, a former national player who once played for VfB Stuttgart, encourages everyone to maintain a balance between work and enjoyment: "While we'll be fully committed to work mode in the next few weeks, we should also try to have fun."
As for the expectations for Belgium, led by star player Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, Hinkel explains that although hopes are high, it's worth noting that Belgium has yet to win a major football title. The team is in the midst of a significant transformation.
