Moscow: Germany manager Joachim Loew said he saw no reason to fear the reigning champions’ opponents after they were paired with Mexico, Sweden and South Korea in the 2018 World Cup draw.
“I am certainly not scared,” Loew told ZDF television.
“We know the Mexicans from the Confederations Cup, the Swedes are a European team who we know as well, so only South Korea will be a slightly unknown quantity.”
Germany will try to retain the World Cup for the first time since Pele and Brazil achieved the feat in 1962, but Loew said their opponents were improving fast.
“Other countries have been watching us over the last few years and they have progressed and they have great players. This will be an exciting World Cup.”
Spain coach Julen Lopetegui, meanwhile, remained cautious after seeing the group that Spain were handed in the draw for next summer’s World Cup. Spain on Friday afternoon were drawn to face reigning European champions Portugal, Morocco and Iran in Group B and should be favourites to reach the last 16. But their coach, who helmed them to Russia without suffering a defeat in their qualifying matches, showed respect to the sides his team will face next summer.
“It is a complicated, difficult and hard group, but it couldn’t be any other way in a World Cup,” he said to the Spanish media after the draw.
“Portugal are a great team, who have beaten us not long ago, while Morocco qualified by beating the Ivory Coast and are a very well consolidated side, while Iran didn’t conceded any goals and they are going to ask a lot of us,” said Lopetegui.
He then looked at each the three sides in greater depth, highlighting Portugal are; “a great side. They are the current European champions and have a group of players of the highest level,” said the Spain coach.
Lopetegui highlighted that Morocco “have very interesting players and the majority of them play in Europe, also they have not lost any games”.
He explained that Iran coach Carlos Queiroz “has been with them for a long time (7 years by next summer) and they were the first team to qualify for the World Cup”.
