display
Duisburg (dpa) - Joachim Löw reacted irritated, almost confused.
Even if after the sparkling clean EM recommendation of the playful and perfectly harmonizing midfield trio Kimmich-Goretzka-Gündogan, some observers immediately asked about a place for Toni Kroos, this does not arise at all for the national coach.
«Why should Toni Kroos have to fear for his place?
He's a world-class player who of course also shapes our team, ”said Löw after the 3-0 win against Iceland.
The unspoken thought - “What a question” - stood on the forehead of the 61-year-old.
No, in the final phase of his DFB activity, Löw enjoys the luxury that he has in the engine room of the German game.
Even if the opponent was only Iceland, the omnipresent Joshua Kimmich impressed as a strong goal preparer, the dynamic Leon Goretzka with his force and Ilkay Gündogan, who is finally ready for tournament and now even in the national jersey, with their teamwork.
display
"We let the ball run well," said Gündogan, one of the goalscorers alongside Goretzka and midfield jewel Kai Havertz.
At the ripe old age of 30, the Manchester City man develops into a leader.
«Men», Gündogan yelled in the 63rd minute, audibly through the Duisburg ghost game stadium, when concentration was lacking in one phase and balls were too easily lost.
Löw was also impressed by the trio Kimmich, Goretzka, Gündogan, who should play again in this line-up on Sunday (8.45 p.m. / RTL) in the top game of the German World Cup qualifying group in Bucharest against Romania.
«The midfield was certainly doing very well.
All three were extremely safe on the ball and always playable.
They initiated the attacks that were in the confines of the midfield.
That was a pound and a weight for us, »praised Löw.
But that doesn't mean he is shaking the status of the 31-year-old Kroos (101 internationals).
It was only recently that Löw praised the 2014 world champion and multiple Champions League winner from Real Madrid as a “model of consistency” and a fixed size: “To talk about Toni's qualities is arduous.”
Debates are out of the question for Löw.
display
"You can see how quickly any player can drop out due to injuries and so on," he said now.
Kroos traveled back to Spain before the Iceland game because of adductor problems.
No risk for the EM, was Löw's announcement.
He would be “incredibly happy if everyone is healthy and fit for the nomination in May.
In a tournament we need more than just eleven players. "
Thomas Müller too?
Of course, the standard question about Munich came up again, which the national coach had sorted out two years ago.
Especially since Uli Hoeneß advertised the attacking midfielder Müller in the RTL studio.
With the 31-year-old, the German midfield would be one of the best, perhaps even “the best in Europe”, believes Bayern Munich's honorary president.
Löw gave his standard answer to Müller's possible EM comeback: "The question will certainly be answered later when it comes to the final nomination of the EM squad."
Löw does not (yet) reject the option of possibly bringing Kimmich back on the right back at the tournament because of the large number of top players in midfield, even if the Munich player demonstrated that he belongs in the center.
"You have to see the deliberations with Kimmich," said Löw: "There are different constellations that you consider in May."
display
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210326-99-978370 / 4
Sports management around Löw
Team behind the team / support staff
National team schedule
National team schedule
National players from A to Z
Match record against 91 DFB opponents
display
DFB record player
DFB record shooters
Schedule of the EM 2021
FIFA World Ranking
Profile Löw
Coaching balance Löw
World Cup qualification schedule
Information on World Cup qualification
display
Press release on the squad nomination
Current DFB squad