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Jeremy Toljan: “I’m looking forward to the challenge”
The win against Denmark was an important step towards the semi-final. You only need a point against Italy to guarantee a place in the final four. Was the mood in the locker-room a relaxed one after the whistle for full time?
Jeremy Toljan: Indeed it was, because we know that we played better as the game went on and that more things went our way. In spite of that, we remain focused, motivated, and want to deliver a performance of a similar calibre against Italy tomorrow. Even though a draw would suffice, that’s not what we’re aiming for. We want to win at all costs and top the group.
Did you think that you could beat Denmark so clearly?
Jeremy: I have the utmost of faith in the team. Whether or not we would win the game was out of the question, although perhaps not by such a high margin, but that makes the three-goal victory all the better. Nadiem’s first goal of the tournament was quite special. We’re good mates and he deserved it.
You were chosen as the UEFA ‘Man of the Match’ – how happy are you with your performances so far?
Jeremy: I too played better as the game against Denmark went on, and I would say that I raised my game. Some things just worked out very nicely and I feel good – but there’s still room for improvement.
Nadiem Amiri considers Italy your hardest opponents in the group. What sort of a game are you anticipating on Saturday?
Jeremy: A tough one. They’ll play typical Italian football and be sorted to a tee defensively. What’s more, they’ve got a few great individual players who have plied their trade in the Serie A for some time now. It’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.
What can you improve on?
Jeremy: We have to find the balance between attack and defence. We play great going forward, but we leave ourselves exposed to the counter every now and then. We would do well to pay more attention in regards to that and snuff out any counterattacks. Defensively we’re pretty solid, and we’re still yet to concede a goal – that’s how we’d like it to stay.
Are you well-prepared for the final game of the group?
Jeremy: It’s tough to play a game every three days, so as a result we’re just recovering for now. There’s a training session in the afternoon but it’ll be a relaxed one.
