The duel of champions ended even: Summary and the keys of Germany -- Spain of the Qatar 2022 World Cup 1:03
(CNN Spanish) --
It is easy to remember pseudonyms for some soccer teams such as "La Squadra Azzurra" from Italy, the "canarinha" for Brazil;
'A Clockwork Orange' for the Netherlands or 'Les Bleus' for the French... But what is the German team called?
For a few years, the German men's soccer team wanted to brand "Die Mannschaft" (meaning 'The Team'), but it wasn't so successful, so they decided to leave behind this marketing phrase, which will still appear on newspapers. official jerseys of Germany in Qatar 2022.
German striker Timo Werner walks past a banner reading 'Die Mannschaft' (The Team) during a training session of the Germany national soccer team on October 7, 2021 in Hamburg, northern Germany. (Credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)
The German Football Federation (DFB) told CNN that the German team no longer uses that slogan and that although "Die Mannschaft" was very popular outside of Germany, it didn't catch on in the country, so Was eliminated.
"We canceled the brand this summer," the federation told CNN.
"Right now everyone can call the team whatever they want. But 'Die Mannschaft' is still common as an international nickname."
Spain postpone their qualification after drawing 1-1 with Germany
In July 2022, the German Football Federation (DFB for its German acronym) announced that it will stop actively promoting its men's national team as "Die Mannschaft" because there was "no uniform image" regarding this phrase.
The decision was made after a meeting of the supervisory board and the shareholders' meeting of the German Football Association in the middle of this year.
advertising
"Surveys and analyzes have shown that the name 'Die Mannschaft' has a high level of recognition and is particularly appreciated abroad. It stands for values such as team spirit and success," DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement. the website.
"However, the fact is that he is sometimes viewed critically and emotionally discussed within fan circles in this country," Neuendorf added.
"The behavior of the national team is more important than its name anyway, which lives by the values that the DFB stands for on and off the pitch."
The official Germany jersey for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, by Adidas, has the phrase "Die Mannschaft" printed on it. (Credit: Adidas Germany)
According to Alexander Wehrle, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the DFB, this pseudonym is "polarizing", which is why he supported the decision to stop using it for the Germans.
"We have extensively analyzed and intensively discussed the brand 'Die Mannschaft'. Opinions differ not only among fans, but also within the DFB. That is a clear sign of the polarization of a name behind which everyone should unite," he said. Wehrle.
Where does 'Die Mannschaft' come from?
In fact, "there is no real origin of Die Mannschaft," the German Soccer Federation told CNN in an email.
This pseudonym began to be used after the 2014 World Cup and everyone began to use it to refer to the German men's soccer team.
The slogan was created by the current director of national teams at the federation, Oliver Bierhoff, during the height of the euphoria after Germany's victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup as world champions, according to local German media.
"The translation, in fact, is 'The Team', so it suited the national team very well," the DFB told CNN.
Although it became a brand after 2014, the brand had to go hand in hand with success.
"When we failed in 2018 and weren't as successful in 2021 either, it no longer had the support of the German fans. So we canceled the brand this summer," the German Football Federation said.
German forward Timo Werner (2D) and other players walk past a banner reading 'Die Crew' (The Team) as they warm up during a training session of the Germany national soccer team on October 7, 2021 in Hamburg , northern Germany, before the team's FIFA World Cup 2022 Group J qualifying soccer match against Romania on October 8. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)
The pseudonym was put to the test after the disaster in Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when that almighty "Mannschaft" stayed in the group stage, in last place in Group F, after losing against Mexico and South Korea and winning by the minimum difference against Sweden.
In addition, as this brand is only used for the men's soccer team —in fact, the hashtag #DieMannschaft was heavily promoted on the Federation's social networks for the senior men's team— it caused discomfort for leaving aside other national teams such as that of women or the lower teams.
That's more like it!
🇩🇪💪 #DieMannschaft #GERITA pic.twitter.com/IeK0HUJhqV
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) June 14, 2022
So surely some sports commentators talk about Germany as "Die Mannschaft" in the World Cup in Qatar 2022, because of course, it is very popular abroad, although for some German fans this may seem like something with which little or nothing they identify.
Germany demonstrates in Qatar 0:57
World Cup Qatar 2022
