EM 2024 - How Sami Khedira rates the national team's chances
Sami Khedira is currently traveling a lot. At the beginning of the week, he was at the tennis tournament in Wimbledon, on a Wednesday at a sponsor event in Hamburg, but punctually at the German National Team's game against Spain, the former VfB Stuttgart footballer will sit on the bench of his home stadium. Here, the German team's quarterfinal is taking place.
Although Khedira played for the national team for many years, when he watches games on TV or in the stadium today, the thrill of being part of the team has passed. "I have come to terms with that," says the 37-year-old.
Sami Khedira: A Good Player, but a Bad Tipster
He is still excited, though. His tip: "2:1 for Germany in extra time." However, the World Cup winner in 2014 has to be considered an unreliable source for match predictions. "I am involved in a tipping league, but I am in the back third," he says. "So I would probably have to be for Spain to make something happen with the German victory."
Khedira is looking forward to the game because, in his opinion, both teams have impressed the most so far. "The Spaniards have weaknesses in defense, but we have an uncanny strength going forward," he says. The German team has impressed in the tournament with intelligent play and good players like Füllkrug, Havertz, Sané, or Wirtz. One could even say that trainer Julian Nagelsmann has a luxury problem. Many positions are well-staffed. We have a strong squad.
Only the video assistant technology can dampen the dynamics, both on the field and in the stands. "For me, it makes football fairer, but the technology cannot lie," he says. However, Khedira criticizes that the evaluation often takes too long. We need to work on that.
The native Stuttgart resident is convinced that we will see a "really great game" between Germany and Spain. If the National Team wins, he sees them as clear favorites for Berlin. "Germany will be European champion!" With his family, who will sit with him in the stadium today, he will already be pressing his thumbs in anticipation.
Despite his lack of involvement in the German National Team lately, Sami Khedira, the former VfB Stuttgart player, will still be present at the stadium for his home team's quarterfinal against Spain. In his tipping league, Khedira, who played for the Spanish National Team's opponent Germany for many years, predicts a 2:1 victory for Germany in extra time, but admits his unreliability as a source for match predictions.
