The day after the final group stage match against Ecuador, the German team's base camp entered its recovery phase. German Football Association General Manager Andreas Rettig and Sporting Director Völler held an internal discussion about the defeat.

What did you discuss with Völler?

How we can improve. Of course, the head coach bears primary responsibility, but we will share our observations with him. And who better to do that than sporting director Völler? He has participated in five World Cups in different capacities. It always helps to gain another perspective.

On the loss to Ecuador

It was a deserved defeat—there's no getting around that. I was somewhat amused that some people were surprised our head coach still protected the players after the loss. That's exactly what I expect from a head coach.

At the same time, I also expect the players to engage in self-criticism and point out problems to each other, including our captain. That's the right direction.

I must say I'm very optimistic about what's ahead, especially seeing how the team interacts internally, how operations are run, and the presence of family members. These are all positive signs suggesting the team is capable of achieving good results.

On the upcoming knockout stage match

I must admit this defeat was an unusual feeling for us—we had won 11 consecutive matches before this. I still think this game is very important. Even if we lose, we must recognize we're now in a do-or-die situation. Every team in the knockout stage faces this, and we've been through similar pressure before, such as in the qualifier against Slovakia, where a loss would have meant elimination and missing the World Cup. The pressure was equally immense, but the team handled it well. Therefore, I believe on Monday we will see the Germany team that played against Slovakia, not the team we saw against Ecuador.

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