Preparation: Greece & Germany

Greece was in training today before meeting Germany in the quarter finals on Friday. I’m going to be on pins and needles all day.

Why hello, Sokratis Papastathopoulos! We may have to make you a Daily Drool!

And you too, Giannis Maniatis.

Vassilis Torosidis kinda looks like a Greek Pipita, doesn’t he?

“Bitch, please!”

Costas Katsouranis  and Dimitrios Salpingidis were the Greek spokesmodels at today’s presser.

Germany is going to be tough to beat and today they prepared by… having Thomas Mueller taste a celebrity chef’s risotto?! Um, okay.

Here he is with celebrity chef Holger Stromberg after the press conference. Okay, if La Roja can ride piggy back, I guess Die Mannschaft can make risotto.

Sami Khedira was the glamorous spokesmodel at the German National Team’s press conference today. Mmmmmm, Sami.

FROM SOCCERWAY.COM

Khedira focused on Greece

Germany midfielder Sami Khedira is focused on his team’s quarter-final against Greece, ignoring a possible last-four clash with England.

Much has been made of the potential meeting of old rivals England and Germany but the Real Madrid midfielder said his team-mates were only concerned with the game against Euro 2004 champions Greece.

“We had an impression against Denmark of what will come when we play Greece. We have picked up intense training again, and we know what we’ll be up against,” Khedira told reporters.

“We are focused on Greece, they have a great team, we won’t underestimate them, but we are not thinking about the semi-final or even the final right now. Italy or England are strong as well, but we are not thinking about them now.

“They (Greece) are fast in counter situations – we’ll have to keep the pace high, then we will get our chances.”

Khedira also spoke about the relationship he has struck up with Bastian Schweinsteiger on the field, saying the two have worked hard to bring structure to Germany’s midfield.

“It (the partnership) has improved, we know each other even better now and don’t have to talk much, our interaction is even better, which is good for our performance as a team,” he said.

“We have to keep moving with pace, which we already do well, but against a defensive-minded team we will get our chances, we just have to keep trying.

“I feel very much at home with the team, I take more responsibility, that’s normal, I like the position I play, everything else others have to comment on.

“We (Germany) are calmer now and clever, every match has been won, and we deserved it, we are even more conscious now, we know our goal.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Thomas Muller wants to prove the negative media back home wrong against Greece.

“I think you have to look at the situation of the whole team,” he said.

“That should be reported on in a more positive way. Me as a player, I hope that there is a bit more euphoria in our whole camp.

“When I see pictures from the big fan parties in Germany, there is wild enthusiasm.

“And this enthusiasm isn’t reflected in the media and I hope we as team can build this up, because at the moment it seems like we have to be ashamed if we win the European title.”

I loved this German fan shot!

Here’s some left over shots  of Sami from practice yesterday.

And a couple more from their beachside pub expedition yesterday…

And I stumbled on some pictures of Mesut that @ItaliafansOzil posted on Twitter and I’ll always post Mesut! Never enough, IMHO!

Yum! Turns out that Angela Merkel will be at the match on Friday. This article talks more about it and Sami says she’s ‘good luck’ for the team. We all know she’s just there to fangirl over Schweini! (I don’t blame her!) Here’s my fave picture of her doing just that. I have the distinct impression that I have that exact look on my face when I’m leering at Mesut. Shiggers, is that a close approximation of my utter perving?

– Lozil