EUROPEAN TEAMS WILL FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT IN BRAZIL SAYS SWITZERLAND MANAGER OTTMAR HITZFELD IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON LAUREUS.COM
Laureus Ambassador Ottmar Hitzfeld is leading the Swiss national team to their second World Cup finals in Brazil. A former manager of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, with both of whom he won the Champions League, he has given an an exclusive interview to Laureus.com, ahead of the World Cup which begins tomorrow.
Laureus editorial content is available for Print and Online use free of charge provided full credit is given, for example….‘Ottmar Hitzfeld speaking to Laureus.com’.
Among Ottmar Hitzfeld’s comments are:
- On Switzerland….’We do have the potential to qualify for the round of the last 16. That is our goal. Then there are no limits.’
- On German football…..‘In club soccer the Bundesliga is the measure of all things and FC Bayern Munich is the best run club [in] the world. The German National team has a very wide senior squad for the World Cup and Jogi Löw is an outstanding coach. I give Germany a lot of credit in European club soccer as well as in this year’s World Cup.’
- On Brazilian football…..’I have visited Brazil several times and realise what an important status football has in this country. Always and everywhere people play soccer, follow soccer and live soccer. And I witnessed Pelé. For me, still the best player of all time.’
- On European teams in Brazil….‘Very, very difficult. It cannot be a coincidence that a European team couldn’t win a World Cup held in South America. Not in Uruguay, not in Mexico, not in Argentina and for sure not in Brazil.
- On Laureus…‘We need to help [disadvantaged] children to take their chance. Most of them are in an utterly difficult position without being responsible for their own circumstances. All the people in a better situation should help these kids. Sport can be an instrument on their way to a better life. This is why Laureus is doing such great work - and I'm very proud to be an Ambassador to the Laureus Foundation.’
Editors using this material are requested to carry reference to Ottmar Hitzfeld’s comments about the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in their stories.
PRINT and ONLINE – for transcript of full Ottmar Hitzfeld interview go to:
http://www.laureus.com/news/ottmar-hitzfeld-interview-ahead-2014-world-cup
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