Thomas Müller on Germany: "We not only have class, we have a mentality"
Thomas Müller believes that Germany's squad have both the talent and mentality to go far at the rescheduled UEFA European Championships.
Müller has returned to the side alongside Mats Hummels after more than two years away from international football. The 31-year-old is one of eight Bayern Munich players in the squad who clinched their ninth successive Bundesliga title in 2020/21.
The Germany squad also includes three members of Chelsea's UEFA Champions League-winning side, and Müller believes this can be Germany's key to success: a winning mentality, and one that the players who will represent the four-time World Champions and three-time European Champions this summer have in abundance.
Watch: Müller's Bundesliga Mixtape!
"The decisive factor is: We not only have class, we have a mentality! These players know how to win, they've proven it," Müller told SportBild in the build-up to the start of the tournament on 11 June. "We're not just anyone, we feel like we can bring it to the field.
"With Jürgen Klopp, Hansi Flick and Thomas Tuchel, three German coaches have recently won the Champions League. That has nothing to do directly with the German national team, but it still shows that the German mentality, the work ethic can be successful. We also have players on the team who have won titles at the highest European level with Chelsea and Bayern in the last nine months."
Germany will be looking to bounce back to their tournament-best at Euro 2020 following the disappointment of a group stage exit at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It's a difficult task for Die Mannschaft, however, with defending World Champions France up first before facing European Champions Portugal and Hungary in the 'Group of Death'.
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Müller is taking his winning mentality from club level into the tournament, but also knows that the opening game for Germany - against France on 15 June - will be crucial.
"In all honesty: I believe in it [winning Euro 2020]," Müller said. "The way there, however, is what concerns me most at the moment. The opening game is paramount. I think that more's possible than many believe we're capable of.
"We absolutely have the confidence to start the competition mode at the tournament with pinpoint accuracy."
Germany's first game in Group F is against France on 15 June before facing Portugal on 19 June and end the group stage against Hungary on 23 June.
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