Domenico Tedesco about Estonia, his birthday and bad fields: “We should be able to play even in the parking lot of the federation building”

“Ah, birthday, birthday,” the German muttered. “Forget it, please. I don’t like my own birthday. After you’re eighteen or nineteenth, you shouldn’t celebrate that anymore, right? I just want to win tomorrow. I want the three points. That is the greatest and most important gift for me.”

Alright then. Have you rewatched the match against Azerbaijan?

“Of course. It was a five hour return flight. Then you have some time. We initially found the spaces, but I wasn’t happy with our game when we didn’t have possession of the ball. And that is the most important thing for me: having possession of the ball. Our pressing was not good. It was more or less a solo pressing: everyone on their own, not in a group. We are very hungry, but in some situations we need to be more patient. Unfortunately we don’t have much time to train for that. If we trained together every week, like in a club, it would be easier to get into it. But come on, that’s the situation. We’ll try to do better next time.”

Youri Tielemans was under fire after the match. Justifiably?

“I think it’s too easy to single out one player. That’s not fair in his case because he tries very hard. He’s a smart guy. Of course he doesn’t have the best rhythm right now (Tielemans is a bencher at his new club Aston Villa, ed.). It’s not an excuse, but that way I can protect him a little. He’s still young. He can also have ups and downs. For me it is better if they do not take place in the national team. But it is also normal. It’s part of the game. You know, I love my players. I will always protect them.”

Youri Tielemans (right) is under fire. — © BELGIUM

What do you expect from the pitch in the King Baudouin Stadium? After Rammstein’s performance, the grass was replaced, and on Friday there was the Memorial Van Damme.

“I trained the youth in Hoffenheim and Stuttgart. You can’t imagine what kind of fields we played on there. But the field in Baku was even worse. I never want to use it as an excuse. We have to be able to play on every field. Even here in the parking lot of the union building. It’s about winning, you know. Whatever field that is.”

“I never want to use a bad pitch as an excuse”

National coach Domenico Tedesco

Jan Vertonghen is playing his 150th international match. Normally Romelu Lukaku is captain. Or will Jan Vertonghen get the band for this milestone?

“Kevin De Bruyne is number one. And now it’s Romelu Lukaku because Kevin isn’t there. This was discussed at the first meeting and has not changed since then. Besides, Jan doesn’t need that tape. He is a natural leader.”

Defender Jan Vertonghen and Wout Faes discuss. Goalkeeper Casteels is already holding the ball. — © BELGIUM

Press chief Stefan Van Loock wants to close the press conference. Tedesco himself points out to him that there is another journalist with his finger up to ask a question. “Bring it on,” he says.

Thank you coach. Are you satisfied with the defense?

(to the press secretary) “Damn it, Stefan. We should have stopped. Next time I’ll listen to you. (laughs) No, seriously. We have now conceded one goal in this European Championship preliminary round. Not that I now take that as the only starting point. Not that either. No, we’ll go into detail. Then you also see that it is not always up to the defenders alone. In the second half there was a situation with a long pass where the defenders were one-on-one. Then you also have to make sure that that long pass doesn’t leave, you understand? So you really can’t put everything on the defenders. You have to go deeper into the detail.”

Tedesco. — © BELGIUM

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