Munich (AP) - In preparation for the Olympic Games, U21 coach Stefan Kuntz had to cancel a trip to Japan because of the corona virus.
"I had originally planned to fly to Tokyo at the beginning of March to look at locations for possible training camps. However, due to the current travel warning, we canceled this trip," said Kuntz of the German Press Agency. "That would have been the only time I would have looked more closely at the Olympics before the March internationals. Now the focus is back on the March internationals, mainly because we want to score three points against Wales."
After the U21 international matches in March against Austria and the European Championship qualification against Wales, the focus for Kuntz is on the Olympic selection, which is not congruent with the U21 due to the use of older players.
The anticipation for the Olympics at Kuntz is also great in the current situation around the corona virus. "Yes, of course," said Kuntz. "I hope that the virus will not spread further so that we can look forward to the Olympics. It is not just about the footballers. I am thinking primarily of the other athletes who have been preparing for this highlight in the past four years They’re probably even more worried that the games willn’t take place, but like I said, I hope it’s going to work out for the better. ”
The situation in the host country is also being monitored by the German Football Association. "At the DFB there is a competent working group on the subject of coronavirus, which is in close contact with the health authorities. Of course, we rely on their advice," said Kuntz.
U21 team and coach
U21 dates
New U21 squad
Overview of EM qualifications
Regulations U21-EM 2021
Stefan Kuntz at dfb.de.
Corona numbers
Corona risk areas