So now the time has come: Starting next Tuesday, new national coach and general manager Marco Sturm is asking his protégés to come to Augsburg, where they can prepare for the Deutschland Cup (November 6th – 8th) begins. With the games against Switzerland (November 6.11th), Slovakia (November 7.11th) and Team USA (November 8.11th), the German national team has a tight program ahead of them. In his baptism of fire, Sturm named a squad of 27 players (3 goalkeepers, 9 defenders, 15 strikers). In the interview, the ex-NHL star talks about the tournament, the preparations and his expectations.
Marco Sturm, the team will meet for the first time next Tuesday. What are your plans until then?
I landed from America this morning and have some important appointments in the next few days. On the one hand, I will meet with many media representatives, and on the other hand, I will watch two DEL games at the weekend and exchange ideas with those responsible and players there. In the remaining time I will take care of the final details regarding preparation for the event Deutschland Cup.
The current national team squad includes some tried and tested players, talents, a debutant and returnees. Is this also your path for the future?
I have always emphasized that it starts from zero and everyone gets their chances, regardless of what has happened. The squad we now have for the Deutschland Cup have a lot of talent together. I will continue to collect my impressions on site, watch games and talk to those responsible about the squad composition. The mix has to be right. This is how it will be in the future.
What is the objective for this? Deutschland Cup? Do you just look at the results or more at the overall performance of the team?
Of course we want to be tournament winners at the end, especially in front of our own audience. What is important, however, is the overall performance as a unit. It will be interesting to see how the players present themselves at international level. We have strong opponents. The tournament is a great challenge and also serves as preparation for the World Cup in St. Petersburg. The closer the Deutschland Cup closer, the more I look forward to it.