Joachim Low said he didn’t have much say in choosing Germany’s penalty-takers for the wild shootout that saw them eliminate Italy in the Euro 2016 quarterfinals.
Die Mannschaft had not missed a single penalty in a shootout since 1982, but they were on the edge of elimination after a trio of their squad failed from 12 yards.
Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger all missed their penalties, but Low praised his less-experienced squad members who kept their nerve.
“I had no real influence on the penalty-takers,” he said. “Every player has to make that decision for himself then.
“Our takers, one to five, were found quickly. Usually, we have good penalty-takers, even though they have not scored today.
“It was great that the youngsters like [Joshua] Kimmich and [Jonas] Hector kept their nerves on such a stage.
“It was a dramatic game, right up until the last shot. I have experienced something similar in 2006 in the World Cup against Argentina.
“It was a game on a tactically very high level from both teams. But we had the upper hand. Italy are strong through their centre and we denied them. Conceding from a penalty was a bit unlucky. I can’t imagine that Italy would have scored from open play.”
Low reverted to three centre-backs to counter Italy’s tactical approach and he felt it was essential to make the alteration.
“We talked about a back three. It was really necessary to change the team a little bit,” he added.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate