Former professional, now fan: Sami Khedira watches the game against Spain in his home stadium. The former Stuttgart star talks about the VAR technology and the Germans’ chance of becoming European champions.
Sami Khedira is currently traveling a lot. At the beginning of the week he was at the tennis tournament in Wimbledon, on Thursday at a sponsor event in Hamburg, but just in time for the German national team’s match against Spain, the former VfB Stuttgart footballer will be sitting in the stands of his home stadium. This is where the German team’s quarter-finals will take place.
Although Khedira played for the national team for many years, when he watches games on TV or in the stadium today, the appeal of being part of the team seems to have evaporated. “I’ve come to terms with it,” says the 37-year-old.
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He will still be cheering. His tip: “2:1 for Germany after extra time”. However, the 2014 world champion points out that he is not a sure bet when it comes to game predictions. “I am involved in a betting round, but I am in the bottom third,” he says. “That’s why I would probably have to be for Spain to make a German win.”
Khedira is looking forward to the game because, in his eyes, both teams have been the most convincing so far. “The Spanish have weaknesses in defence, but we have incredible power going forward,” he says. The German team impressed in the tournament with intelligent play and good players. Füllkrug, Havertz, Sané and Wirtz – you could even say that coach Julian Nagelsmann has a luxury problem. Many positions are filled twice. They have a good bench.
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Only the video assistant technology can slow down the dynamics, both on the pitch and in the stands. “For me it makes football fairer, but technology can’t lie,” he says. However, Khedira criticizes the fact that the evaluation often takes too long. This is something that needs to be worked on.
The Stuttgart native is convinced that he will see a “really great game” between Germany and Spain. If the national team wins, he sees them as clear favorites for Berlin. “Germany will be European champions!” He and his family, who are sitting with him in the stadium today, will be keeping their fingers crossed.
Source: Stern
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