As ambassador for the city of Innsbruck at EURO 2008, Hansi Müller is well-placed to offer an insider's take on events in Austria and Switzerland.
The former German international striker spoke with bundesliga.de about the team's 3-2 victory over Portugal, their chances of winning the title and, in particular, the form of the frontmen.
bundesliga.de: Herr Müller, you must have watched the game against Portugal. Were you happy with the performance of the German team?
Hansi Müller: I certainly was. As ever, when it really matters the Germans are there or thereabouts. We saw a quite different Michael Ballack, and an excellent Bastian Schweinsteiger. The team was very compact, and there wasn't much to be seen of Cristiano Ronaldo. The victory was deserved and hopefully there are more like it on the way.
bundesliga.de: Did any particular players stand out in the quarter-final?
Müller: I thought Lukas Podolski had a very good game. “Schweini” was involved in all three goals. Phillip Lahm is having a great tournament all-round, and for me he's the most consistent performer so far.
bundesliga.de: What else caught your attention during the game?
Müller: The Portuguese had a lot of respect for us. They knew it wasn't going to be easy, and didn't come out and attack us right from the off. But they kept the pressure up to the very end. After pulling it back to 3-2 they were all-out to equalise, of course. They're not just any old team - runners-up at the last EUROs, fourth at the World Cup. It takes a tremendous performance to dispatch a side like that, and the German boys came up with the goods. It was also a clever move on Jogi Löw's part to put out a compact five-man midfield. The Portuguese found that very difficult to deal with. Podolski was technically up front alongside Miroslav Klose, but in actual fact he wasn't. “Poldi” has scored three goals at this tournament from a deeper left-sided position, after all, and the coach's decision to continue with him in that role was absolutely spot-on.
bundesliga.de: When Podolski tracked back to help out in defence, however, he didn't always look particularly comfortable.
Müller: In his head, he's already moving towards the opponents' goal in those situations. I know that from my own experience. The important thing is for him to be making a difference up front. Nowadays, for sure, you're expected to help out at the back. But that's not really in Poldi's nature, and it's not something you can essentially change. He's dangerous up front, and that's where you need him.
bundesliga.de: How painful is it for you, as a Stuttgart man, to see Mario Gomez struggling to make an impact after such a great Bundesliga season?
Müller: Well, I wasn't quite so put out against Portugal, seeing as Stuttgart was at least represented in the form of Thomas Hitzlsperger. He may have been inconspicuous, but he was an important part of the team. Mario Gomez had a terrific strike rate in the league, but didn't score in three games for the national side. That said, he was just performing as poorly as the rest of the team in the group phase. I've heard from the German camp that he was in the starting line-up each time because of his great form in training. Löw had to change something against Portugal. And Klose, apart from having got on the scoresheet himself again, has the greater experience and the greater reputation in the eyes of his opponents after his performances at the last World Cup. Simply put, he's got an international reputation. Gomez fell victim to circumstances. It's a pity, but Jogi Löw's response is understandable. I can't judge to what extent Gomez is occupied with thoughts of a move to Bayern München or Barcelona. But as a rule it's never a good situation when such rumours are floating around during a tournament. It's in your head, and it's occupying your subconscious all the time.
bundesliga.de: The group phase did not exactly showcase the German team at their best. A lot of people thought they would be returning home sooner rather than later. Did you?
Müller: No, not at all. I felt the team would improve in line with the opposition, and that's just what happened. Portugal were undoubtedly the slight favourites, but the German side were starting again from scratch. The group stage is over, now it's one-on-one, on a knockout basis. Improvement was the only solution if Portugal were to be beaten. But this team has a lot of potential to it.
bundesliga.de: It wasn't easy to get in touch with you. Are you on the move in Austria and Switzerland during the tournament?
Müller: For the past two weeks I've been in a different city every day, and slept in a different bed every night. Initially as ambassador for Baden-Württemberg in Bregenz, Tirol and Innsbruck. I've also had several shifts with Waldemar Hartmann at (national broadcaster) ARD and am working as an analyst for (Austrian state broadcaster) ORF. I'm feeling the pace already.
Interview: Ingo Müller / translation Angus Davison
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