Attitutde, motivation and euphoria are what they should be. DFB team manager Oliver Bierhoff was in upbeat mood when he faced the press.
Question: How do you rate the first match against Poland?
Oliver Bierhoff: The way we played was encouraging. Joy and relief were very big. But we have to put the match behind us quickly, we have a difficult game against Croatia coming up.
Question: Up to 26 million Germans watched the match on TV. What do you say about the euphoria?
Bierhoff: That's more than you could expect for the first match. It speaks for the status of the national team and the bond between team and fans. There have already been motorcades in Germany. That has to be additional inspiration for the players, who know exactly that they have made a first step only.
Question: Inside the stadium one got the impression that it was an away match for Germany, with more Poles than Germans inside the arena. Do you expect a similar atmosphere against Croatia?
Bierhoff: I'm not responsible for the distribution of tickets and can't explain why more Poles than Germans were inside the stadium. But I didn't get the feeling of an away match, our fans supported us magnificiently. If it was the case it didn't effect the team. We have already celebrated important victories away to Slovakia and the Czechs in qualifying, that's why I'm not worried regarding the Croatia match.
Question: Germany have won their first Euro match since 1996. How important was that for German football?
Bierhoff: We're delighted to have lifted that curse. We won the first game at the EURO 1996 2-0 as well, that may be a good sign. The win also confirms our whole strategy, which had partly been critically scrutinised. Everything went like clockwork and perfect so far. All 23 players are still 100% fit, which speaks for itself. The foundation and the volume of our fitness will pay off over the course of the tournament. The problems we temporarily had against Poland were a question of mind.
Question: What's the difference between today's team and the EURO 1996 winners that won the last major title for Germany, with you scoring a brace in the final?
Bierhoff: Possibly there's more hunger and curiosity for a title. The team has found its own identity. In 1996 we had a very experienced team with players who had been involved in the 1990 World Cup title and gathered experience from playing abroad. That team surely had a very big identity, too, but it's hard to compare these teams. Back then we were a great unit, just as we are today.
Question: Lukas Podolski chose not to celebrate after his goals. How do you rate his reaction?
Bierhoff: Lukas still has a very strong link to his home country, and I can understand his decison not to celebrate. The important thing for us was that he scored the goals and not how he celebrated.
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