Huub Stevens: Quality problem in the German national team
Long-serving Bundesliga coach Huub Stevens sees quality and motivation problems as the main reasons for the current plight of the German national soccer team. "The German team has no qualifying matches before the European Championship, only friendlies. People are quick to talk them down. Maybe you don't always have the greatest excitement there," Stevens told the German Press Agency after the DFB team's two recent defeats against Turkey (2:3) and Austria (0:2).
"I saw that, it doesn't make you happy," the 69-year-old continued. The long-serving FC Schalke 04 coach was also puzzled by the personnel in coach Julian Nagelsmann's team: "With all due respect, Niclas Füllkrug has quality, of course. But if he has to play for the national team - I don't know. Don't they have better ones in Germany?"
Even his former coaching colleague Nagelsmann may now be reaching his limits and can hardly perform miracles. "Of course he did a very good job at his clubs. But the national team is something else. It's more difficult. You don't work with the games on a daily basis," said Stevens, who is still hoping for a turnaround: "Germany should be playing for the title at a home tournament."
Stevens has worked in the Bundesliga for Schalke, 1. FC Köln, VfB Stuttgart, TSG Hoffenheim, Hertha BSC and Hamburger SV, among others. He spent most of his time as a coach at Schalke. He won the UEFA Cup with the Royal Blues in 1997. Born in the Netherlands, he has now ended his career as a coach.
Stevens expressed concern over the lack of quality and motivation within the German national soccer team, mentioning the DFB team's upcoming friendlies before the European Championship. He questioned whether players like Niclas Füllkrug, who possess quality, should be in the national team when better options exist in Germany.
Source: www.dpa.com
