MADRID, 14 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former soccer player Lothar Matthaus assured this Thursday that the German team “will always be one of the favorites” to lift the World Cup, with a team “that should not fear the great nations” and with “great potential” ahead of Qatar 2022 .
“Germany will always be one of the favorites. However, both in the last World Cup and in the European Championship, we did not do well. Our bad results were not what we were used to. I hope we have learned from these bad results. I think we have a a team that should not fear the great nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Italy, England and the current world champion, France,” Matthaus said in statements to the organization of the Qatar World Cup.
The German legend stressed that ‘Die Mannschaft’ has “a good team with great potential, good team spirit and a good mix of young and experienced players.” “The team has realized that we have to play as a cohesive unit again, something we didn’t do in Russia 2018. No team in the world likes to play against Germany because of the high quality of football we play. Without a doubt, Germany It is a team that is among the favourites,” he added.
Matthaus, the footballer with the record for participation in World Cups and four times champion of the Champions League, also recalled the sentimental factor involved in playing a World Cup. “It is the footballing event par excellence, and experiencing it as a player is the best thing. I was lucky enough to also experience it as a journalist and as a fan. I still get goosebumps when I remember the 1966 World Cup. In short, a World Cup has everything what one can imagine,” he asserted.
“It’s a moment I will never forget. The way we came together as a team, the incredible support from our fans. The whole country was talking about football, which is to be expected in a country that is passionate about football like Italy. At that time, I was playing for Inter Milan, which made it even more special. The World Cup brought a lot of euphoria, enthusiasm and togetherness. As a captain, winning the final match against Argentina is an unforgettable moment. When I look at the photos of the tournament, they bring back a lot of indelible memories,” he commented on the title at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Finally, he highlighted the importance of celebrating the World Cup in countries and continents that until now had not hosted it. I think every continent has the right to host the tournament at some point. People all over the world always want to organize a World Cup. Although Qatar does not have the same footballing pedigree as Germany, England, Spain, Brazil or Argentina, the enthusiasm for the game and the tournament is real. I hope we will have a great event in Qatar,” he concluded.