Germany will travel to Belgrade for their upcoming UEFA Nations League match, where supporters will be barred from the stands under a UEFA sanction following discriminatory incidents. A limited number of children under 15 will be allowed to attend, and SC Freiburg full-back Philipp Treu believes Germany can turn the empty stadium to their advantage.
A different environment in Belgrade
Stadion Rajko Mitic is traditionally described as one of the most intimidating venues in European football, but Germany will face a vastly different environment on Friday night with the match played behind closed doors. Treu spoke about the situation on the DFB's official website: “It’s obviously a shame because every footballer wants to play in front of fans. But we experienced something similar during the pandemic, so we know what it’s like.”
He said: “One possible advantage is that we’ll be able to communicate even better on the pitch. But overall, the circumstances won’t make much difference to us.”
Settling into the national team
Treu said: “First of all, it’s an incredible honour just to be here. One thing that really helped me at the start was already knowing quite a few of the players, like Nico Schlotterbeck. Everyone made us feel really welcome, especially the more experienced players, who made an effort to get to know the newcomers. We owe the whole team a big thank you for making things so easy for us. It’s been great fun working with the lads. Having already spent two weeks with the squad myself, I was able to help Derry settle in.”
Leading through communication
Treu said: “I’m naturally a very open person and I’m already trying to lead by example. That’s something I’ve done at my previous clubs too. I like building relationships with the players around me, and as a full-back, I communicate a lot on the pitch. That worked really well against the Netherlands, particularly with Jonathan Tah. We were constantly communicating and giving each other instructions. That gives me confidence, and I think the other players have responded well to it.”
Germany's Nations League focus
Treu said: “The group is still wide open. We’re going into the Serbia game determined to win so that we can set up a decider in Berlin. That’s our focus for now. We know it won’t be an easy game in Serbia, but we want to go there and get a positive result.”
