Interview: Hitzfeld terms ball possession football as new trend

German-born coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, 67, who won seven German championships (two with Borussia Dortmund and five with Bayern Munich) and two Champions Leagues (1997/2001), told Xinhua in a recent interview that Germany is his top favorite for the Euro 2016 in France.

From 2008 to 2014, Hitzfeld was the national coach of Switzerland and twice qualified for a World Cup. After his retirement in 2014, Hitzfeld works as a TV expert.

Regarding football's development, Hitzfeld said, "Ball possession football is the new international trend."

Xinhua: It's not that fundamental. But a lot of football fans are still waiting for one of the world's best coaches...

Hitzfeld: (laughing) ... they can't be waiting for me then as I'm not a coach anymore. It was a decision I made before the 2014 World Cup. I was always determined not to sit on the bench as an old grey man. My question was: What would old coaches in tracksuits have to tell the youngsters in football boots? I made my decision despite an offer from a Chinese club which would have been an interesting job in the country with football lovers and a unique potential.

Xinhua: How does it feel to be a former coach?

Hitzfeld: (laughing) Great.

Xinhua: Why?

Hitzfeld: I wanted to spend more time with the family and have less stress. As a coach you live football all around the clock. At first, you still wake up in the middle of the night and change your first team but a few months later you sleep like a baby again.

Xinhua: That's why you decided to start working as an unstressed TV expert?

Hitzfeld: (laughing) It was the right decision to stop after a last successful tournament with the Swiss team in Brazil. I started to work for Sky Sports and it brought a nice change to my life. I write columns now and then and do skype talks about important games. To still be connected to football is important to me, but not as a coach waking up at night thinking about the best 11.

Xinhua: Talking about all kinds of burdens, can a World Cup title be a burden in the next major tournament such as the 2016 European Championship for a team like Germany? Everyone expects them to win.

Hitzfeld: They will win. Or let us put it that way: They can. They are the big favorite for me. Expectations won't be a big problem for the Germans. Who else other than the World Champions is to be found among the favorite. Meanwhile I think German football is confident enough to deal with these expectations.

Xinhua: It is not the same team though. There are several very young and inexperienced players in the squad. Is that the right way?

Hitzfeld: Every tournament has its own story and rhythm. You don't win games just because you have a shiny cup in your trophy cabinet. New tournament, new job, you somehow start from scratch. New team-building is necessary, new motivation, a new team spirit. Of course the Brazil confidence helps but the squad needs new input.

Xinhua: Coming from a bunch of 20-year-olds such as Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (FC Schalke 04), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund) and Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen)?

Hitzfeld: Parts of it. It's a sign for the squad to have them around. First of all you have fresh faces. It s new energy for the squad. Besides your experienced players, you need young aspiring newcomers, that might be satisfied with a place on the bench, not too demanding, but at the same time full of energy, ambitious and a bit cheeky.

Xinhua: What about a figure like Bastian Schweinsteiger, the team's leader. Isn't it a risk to wait for him so long and then he might have to pull out due to an injury. German head coach Joachim Loew might lose his captain shortly before the tournament.

Hitzfeld: First of all, Bastian Schweinsteiger is important for the German team. He has extraordinary experience, his opinion matters and he has one big ability, he can help the team at every moment. But of course he has to be fit. Loew will discuss this with Schweinsteiger. Both know there must be a chance for Schweinsteiger to play.

Xinhua: And the leader problem in case he is unable to play?

Hitzfeld: Joachim Loew will consider that. But there are Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng and others. The Germans are far from a team of newcomers. It's not only the team captain, the entire group has to function and that is in the first place the coach's job to create the atmosphere.

Xinhua: It was a while ago since Germany last won the European Championship in 1996. Is a European Championship harder than a World Cup?

Hitzfeld: The level of a European tournament is slightly higher, I think. It can get tight in group matches already like in Group E with Italy, Belgium, Sweden and Ireland for instance. But in general, it should be no problem for many of the better teams amongst the field of 24 to survive the group.

Xinhua: Some years ago, the goal was to end the Spanish dominance. Looking at the current European club competitions, one has to ask: What went wrong?

Hitzfeld: Firstly many Spanish clubs have top level foreigners in their team. But for many years now, Spanish football has been developing players technically and tactically, maybe more than others. As ball-possession football is about to conquer the world, it's an advantage to have a solid basis when it comes to technically skilled players that can play precise passes and combinations. Spain is still the leading nation in world football, despite their early elimination at the 2014 World Cup when they possibly missed taking some young players to freshen the squad up, to create more competition and produce new energy.

Xinhua: So Loew has not made a mistake by nominating "older" players like Lukas Podolski and Schweinsteiger?

Hitzfeld: You need experience in your team, you won't win a tournament without it. Especially Schweinsteiger as captain is important for the team. I think Loew has found the right mixture. After all, it's his feeling that counts.

Xinhua: Mario Gomez seems to be back in the fold after Germany long tried to do away with an out and out spearhead after Miroslav Klose retired.

Hitzfeld: It depends on the tactical philosophy of the coach. Joachim Loew won the World Cup with a central striker. Many nations do the same. Nevertheless it was right to nominate Gomez just to have an additional option. If you are behind in a game, you might need such a type of player, fast, dynamic and going for goals. After his tough time over the last two years, he will be full of energy. Don't forget it's not that easy to score 25 goals in Turkey.

Xinhua: Who are your favorites in France?

Hitzfeld: Germany as the current world champions, Spain, which I think recovered from the Brazil defeat with some younger players, of course France as the tournament host, They have been working hard preparing for the tournament but has to fulfill high expectations. But at the same time it can be extra motivation. Belgium might be the surprise having a lot of individual quality. We have to see what effect Vincent Kompany's injury will have. He's the captain and leader of the team.

Xinhua: Could you compare your favorites? Who is going to win the title?

Hitzfeld: Germany is my bet. Not only because they are world champions but because of the quality they can rely on. Just take a look at the quality on the bench. Joachim Loew has many alternatives for nearly every position. France has players with great skills, very strong in midfield and up front. I only miss Karim Benzema. He plays constantly well for Real and in my opinion should have been part of the squad. But the discussion in France sparked by politicians has put great pressure on Didier Deschamps not to choose him. Maybe those two are in the final.

Xinhua: Do you see some sort of dominating trend in world football?

Hitzfeld: Ball possession football is the dominating thing. When you have a well oiled passing machine, you will more likely win the game or you are Atletico Madrid and use another style. All teams try to improve on that, even in the German second division. Defenders are part of the attack. The teams want to score goals after combining with each other. You won't see many crosses from out wide, the teams rather play the ball back into the open space right in front of the box. Pressing back after you have lost the ball is important.

Xinhua: Let us talk about Pep Guardiola and his three years in Munich. We can imagine you don't agree that his time was not successful after he three times missed out on the Champions League final?

Hitzfeld: For me it is clear that he has developed the team and made an enormous progress when it comes to a dominant style of play, putting pressure on the opponents and passing preciseness. It was not an easy job after Jupp Heynckes had won the treble in 2013. The game against Atletico was one of Bayern's best ever. He won German championship three times and made it to the Champions League on three occasions.

Xinhua: So in the end it's not only titles that count?

Hitzfeld: He not only gave Bayern an immense amount with his style of football, but he gave German football in general new ideas. It was a great achievement for Bayern to get him as a coach. In the end it was good for the Bundesliga's worldwide reputation as well. He managed to avoid the drop in performance that you normally have after such a success.

Xinhua: Looking at Bayern's current squad, would you say it's their best ever?

Hitzfeld: The best squad ever, Bayern never had such a variety of world class players.

Xinhua: Bayern now is on the same level as Real Madrid or Barcelona?

Hitzfeld: I think their squad in total is better than Real or Barca. Both of them haven't got a similar quality when it comes to the bench. Bayern has made clever transfers, just think of Douglas Costa, nobody was counting on him. Or for example Kingsley Coman, who was not a regular at Juventus before joining Bayern.

Xinhua: In Guardiola's first year, Bayern lost easily to Real. In the second year they had many injured players and were beaten by Barcelona and now this year they lost to Atletico. Do you regard that as three different chapters?

Hitzfeld: It's not okay to compare these three campaigns. Looking at the duel against Atletico, to me it is clear, as Bayern you might lose one out of 10 duels, but no more.

Xinhua: Now Carlo Ancelotti is taking over. Will he change Bayern's style a lot?

Hitzfeld: Carlo Ancelotti has been successful in different countries and will implement his style and I am very much looking forward to see how he deals with Bayern. He once played a rather defensive style with Real against Bayern and beat them with fast counter attacks. He once chose a keep ball offensive style. He might be slightly more flexible in his game. Guardiola was successful, but he might not be a brilliant communicator, maybe Ancelotti is more open. It's not a judgment from my side. Every coach on that level has his style.

Xinhua: At the same time as Ancelotti, Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund will join Bayern next season. Hummels is regarded to be one of the world's best central defenders.

Hitzfeld: Bayern has had injury problems in the central defense in the past few years. Hummels is not only top class and but a German speaking player. Bayern will have a trio which also plays for the national team -- namely Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng and Hummels. Signing him makes sense and will make Bayern stronger.

Xinhua: Not a good sign for all other clubs in the German Bundesliga?

Hitzfeld: (laughing) Borussia Dortmund has a very effective scouting system and will manage to build a strong team able to challenge Bayern in the future. Enditem