Germany's football team is raring to go and very excited about the upcoming World Cup, which starts on Thursday, German Football Association (DFB) sporting director Rudi Völler said on Tuesday.
"I can tell - yesterday at dinner and at breakfast too: of course they would really like to start right now. Clearly the sooner the better," Völler said after the Germany team trained on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, in the south-eastern US state of North Carolina.
Völler also sees only positive signs for goalie Manuel Neuer's comeback in Sunday's opening match at 1700 GMT against Curaçao.
"Nothing unsettles him. Everything is going well. He's back with the team," Völler said of the record goalkeeper.
Neuer trains with goalkeepers on adjacent pitch
Neuer, along with the three other DFB goalkeepers, Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nuebel and Jonas Urbig, initially resumed training on an adjacent pitch at Spry Stadium.
The long-time German team goalie did not have any apparent problems with his recently injured left calf.
In Houston, head coach Julian Nagelsmann is planning to start the 40-year-old in goal. Neuer had rejoined full team training on Monday.
Nagelsmann's squad, also of 23 pitch players, all took part in the session.
"All the players are fit and that's the most important thing at a tournament," said former national team member Völler, 66. He repeatedly stressed that everyone was "fired up."
Before Germany's first match in North Carolina, the sporting director plans first to fly to Mexico City for the opening match between co-host Mexico and South Africa. He then plans to travel straight on to New York for the opening of the German House of Soccer there.
Germany captain Joshua Kimmich has urged the whole squad to give their all at the World Cup as he insisted that a nice base camp alone doesn't guarantee success.
"I hope that everyone who is here wants to become world champion," Kimmich told MagentaTV.
Kimmich said that the will to achieve success is not enough but that "we must now do something to win matches."
In addition to Curaçao, the Ivory Coast and Ecuador are also in Germany's group stage.
Germany moved into their World Cup base camp, The Graylyn Estate with the nearby training facilities of Wake Forest University, on Monday, and Kimmich praised the setup.
"I believe there are reasons why we are here and that everything is prepared superbly," Kimmich said.
But he warned that a nice camp doesn't guarantee success, saying: "I also felt at home in Qatar. But we were still eliminated at the end of the group stage."
Germany went out in the group stage in 2018 in Russia and in 2022 in Qatar after losing their tournament opener on both occasions.
They enter the World Cup with victories in their last nine matches, and coach Julian Nagelsmann said that a good preparation can contribute to success.
"In the end the games are more important. But it always comes down to the overall picture. If you feel comfortable and can prepare properly, you’re more likely to play well. And if you play well, you’re more likely to succeed," Nagelsmann said.
