Boulter, Draper Knocked Out Of Wimbledon
By Fernando Kallas
STUTTGART, Germany, July 4 (Reuters) - Mental preparation and plenty of practice are the most important factors in taking a penalty, Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said as his team gear up for Friday's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Spain.
Both teams are heavy favourites and have provided some of the best football in the tournament so far and their clash could come down to a penalty shootout.
Gundogan, 33, said on Thursday that the pressure of taking a penalty is not something that can be replicated in training, but that it's still important to be mentally prepared.
"The key word for me is routine. When you step on to take a penalty, the pressure that exists in a game it's just different than it was in training and obviously to replicate is very, very difficult. I don't believe that you can replicate it in training," Gundogan told a press conference.
"You can train your routine. You can train how you want to approach a penalty. Your breathing, how you get calm... The most crucial thing is to get calm, how to get your heartbeat down.
"Just try to be cool and enjoy the moment of taking a penalty. Which is the most difficult thing because, otherwise anyone would score a penalty."
Gundogan is one of Germany's most experienced players and has taken almost 20 penalties in a successful career between clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
However, he believed anyone who stepped up to take a spot kick should be lauded for their bravery and that even some of the game's greatest players do not always score.
"Even the best takers in the world miss," Gundogan said.
"I automatically think about someone like Harry Kane who has a finishing that is unbelievable but I also remember him missing quite a few penalties.
"So it’s just the circumstances at the end of the day. I missed a lot of penalties in my career so far as well. At the end of the day you just try your best. Sometimes it gets rewarded and you can do it in a better way and sometimes not.
"I think to have the guts to step on, to take a penalty in crucial moments, to show respect for it, even when you miss because it is a situation that is extraordinary and it is very difficult to deal with." (Reporting by Fernando Kallas Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Coal Reserves IMG 0762 9a4340d8bb1f1e6106700fc3d7349b7e 2024 Is The Year The World Could Reach Peak Coal Use But V0 IkviyPeSkhN4JbPJiBFtnEixCzofHsTs2QAmJ1 Yc C ?auto=webp&s=b722588c7ba1f9eaaf15d4490500b9654dde2326Maxresdefault Coal Demand Will Remain Steady Through 2023 Thanks To India China Iea 768x519 AECR 4 03 Coal Production 2024 06 Coal 2023 1024x682 Coal Production 2024 SHARE Article Thumbs Westusa Mining 2023 2 Hl 5 V1.bb39ce56ddb6 ?Coal Miners Day 2023 168311586716x9 Westernusa 2024 Infographic 9 V1.1f5c92ef35ae ?OxMrmhAxGxIkWg Fb Maxresdefault IMG Netral News Admin 48 HO4KFQXTP5 Jharia 2048px Coal Mine Web Article Thumbs Westusa Mining 2023 3 1 V1.ad00efd82815 ?Hero Global Mine 2023 US Non FuelMineral Production V2 Map 08 11 21 300dpi 15.95x9.09 Inv2858 Scaled Page Thumbnail ?imageOpt=1&crop=870,417,x0,y0ANM25MRO5NMPDB2VWNGL7CCAQE ?auth=75641abea4a193820154926b1449ed72ceb0b7912a0108f447ead971495ef214&width=960&quality=80Gf KgNi F4EL RK85 Cena Wegla 2023 664x442 Nocrop 835d3463c44c3eddead632726a80846c 5917f939ae24e4955d480ae28ed29072 Getty 1174828157 Maxresdefault Coalregionsintransitionoecd26janevent 230216114115 5d42d656 Thumbnail ?width=640&height=640&fit=boundsVCE Global Energy Use Fuel Consumption Per Country July11 Image Soutron Api?imageID=32119Production P11 Map Digital.f49628bdf3b5 ?width=800Mining 696x522 Mining 1024x665 Coal 600x450
Boulter, Draper Knocked Out Of Wimbledon
By Fernando Kallas
STUTTGART, Germany, July 4 (Reuters) - Mental preparation and plenty of practice are the most important factors in taking a penalty, Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said as his team gear up for Friday's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Spain.
Both teams are heavy favourites and have provided some of the best football in the tournament so far and their clash could come down to a penalty shootout.
Gundogan, 33, said on Thursday that the pressure of taking a penalty is not something that can be replicated in training, but that it's still important to be mentally prepared.
"The key word for me is routine. When you step on to take a penalty, the pressure that exists in a game it's just different than it was in training and obviously to replicate is very, very difficult. I don't believe that you can replicate it in training," Gundogan told a press conference.
"You can train your routine. You can train how you want to approach a penalty. Your breathing, how you get calm... The most crucial thing is to get calm, how to get your heartbeat down.
"Just try to be cool and enjoy the moment of taking a penalty. Which is the most difficult thing because, otherwise anyone would score a penalty."
Gundogan is one of Germany's most experienced players and has taken almost 20 penalties in a successful career between clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
However, he believed anyone who stepped up to take a spot kick should be lauded for their bravery and that even some of the game's greatest players do not always score.
"Even the best takers in the world miss," Gundogan said.
"I automatically think about someone like Harry Kane who has a finishing that is unbelievable but I also remember him missing quite a few penalties.
"So it’s just the circumstances at the end of the day. I missed a lot of penalties in my career so far as well. At the end of the day you just try your best. Sometimes it gets rewarded and you can do it in a better way and sometimes not.
"I think to have the guts to step on, to take a penalty in crucial moments, to show respect for it, even when you miss because it is a situation that is extraordinary and it is very difficult to deal with." (Reporting by Fernando Kallas Editing by Christian Radnedge)
