The training sessions
They were positive overall. We did everything we wanted to do and laid the foundations for things we can go into in more detail later. In general, it’s about balancing control and composure with attacking incisiveness and runs in behind. It was great to have so many players on the training pitch. That meant we could work hard and intensively in every session. I have to compliment our medical department for making sure that the lads could be back in action the next day. These training camps always have them working into the night, and we just have a great set of people there.
The friendly matches
Against Fürth, we wanted to see the things we’ve worked on in training be replicated on the pitch. The lads were focused and did that well. Of course, we would have wanted to win, but that’s just a small quibble. The lads didn’t really get their reward for a good performance, particularly in the first 60 minutes. The chances were there though and were also well-worked. The team gave their all over these few days in Schruns, and I have to compliment everyone. It felt good to see the improvement from the game in Altach. We conceded too many chances then.
The new arrivals
The players and coaches have all integrated well. We have new arrivals in both departments. We want to offer a culture and environment that allows them to settle in quickly. We’ve had feedback that the new arrivals feel like part of the group. Particularly with Patrick Osterhage and Eren Dinkci, we’ve been able to see them open up, and we can tell that they know what we expect from them both on and off the pitch. That makes both them and us feel comfortable.
The young players
The young lads like Bruno Ogbus and Johan Manzambi have done really well. They’ve managed to keep up with the high physical and mental demands. If we add into the equation Max Rosenfelder, Kenneth Schmidt and Merlin Röhl, who are all coming back from long-term injuries, then it’s even better. We want to be difficult to play against, and that requires a good level of fitness. Every single session brings the lads a step further towards peak condition. That also applies to Junior Adamu, who missed pre-season last year but has put in a lot of work this time around. You can sense that. It’s sort of a clean slate and the lads want to impress.
The players on international duty
Our three players who were at the EUROs went through the obligatory tests at the end of the week and have started again with individual programmes. They’ve got a day off on Monday and will then return to team training on Tuesday. The same goes for Berkay Yilmaz, who played in a FIFA U-20 World Cup play-off with Türkiye on Thursday. He would normally get another day off, but he doesn’t want it. Kiliann Sildillia started France’s opening game at the Olympics. We hope he takes in and enjoys that great result.