The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

DFB squad nomination for EM 2021: "How can we get closer again?"

2021-05-22T21:31:23.958Z


The DFB was once again about football. With the squad nomination for the European Championship, the association also tried its hand at being close to the fans - and proves how difficult it is for football in the pandemic.


Enlarge image

Joachim Löw in the video link for the squad nomination

Photo: Thomas Böcker / dpa

Mr Schulz and Mr Goldecker from the old people's home of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund in Frankfurt / Oder have yet another question: They want to know what rank the DFB team will ultimately achieve at this European championship.

Even the national coach can only roughly answer that, at least every game will be approached "like a final," promised Joachim Loew to the questioners.

The DFB had thought of something for this day of the nomination of the DFB squad. "We asked ourselves: How can we get closer to the fans?", Press spokesman Jens Grittner initiated the video conference with the national coach after he had initially announced with a deep breath that "today the DFB would only be about football". Which was seldom the case recently, given the association's deep leadership crisis.

How can we create closeness?

It's kind of a crucial question about the national team, this team that was the Germans' favorite child for so many years and that has long since lost its great affection.

With the low point after the 0: 6 last year against Spain in Seville.

After everything collapsed over the team and the coach.

By then, at the latest, it was clear to everyone that compensation, no, reparation, is the highest civic duty.

6500 registrations for the video conference

On Wednesday they tried the reparation project with connected supporters, a secondary school from Böblingen was there, representatives of the national team fan club and the senior citizens' home from Frankfurt.

According to Grittner, a total of 6500 participants had registered for this video conference "for everyone", but significantly fewer were then connected.

They could send questions to the association, the national coach and the captain Manuel Neuer, some of which were then read out.

The result is a bit viscous, a bit tame and with the usual one or two technical glitches.

It is an arduous business to win back sympathies, especially at a time when the pandemic makes direct encounters impossible.

How can one establish closeness where closeness is not allowed?

Loew, Neuer and Jonas Hofmann from Gladbach, who is also in the video link, answer the questions in a mannered manner.

Hofmann praises the fact that "creative questions are sometimes asked, otherwise interviews are often very stiff."

The fans wanted to know what would have become new if he hadn't started his footballing career ("maybe something medical") and whether the national goalkeeper had to take painkillers ("I don't have to").

All in all, that's what people like to call a nice try.

"Are there any questions for Jonas Hofmann?" "No, not from us, from you, Mama?" No, not from her either.

Team of coaches filmed thinking

Previously, the DFB Löw and his coaching team had faded in a little image film while discussing the squad, you could almost watch the national coach thinking: "I think we've covered everything across the board," was murmured while the camera adopts the keyhole perspective , at the table was pondered: "The situation is pretty confusing."

In the end, however, Löw and his team must have regained the overview away from the cameras, the squad with its 26 names finished on schedule, at first glance a line-up without much potential for excitement, "in which every position is filled twice," like Löw emphasizes.

Although that's only half true: there are three left-backs, but only one trained right-back in the squad.

A squad that includes Christian Günter from Freiburg and Kevin Volland, who plays for AS Monaco, two players who made their debuts in the national team shortly before the 2014 World Cup, but then moved out of focus for years.

Your calling is one of the few surprises when the EM drivers are named.

Especially at Volland, Löw was no longer trusted to take him into account again.

Praise for Boateng, whom he does without

To inform the long-time regular member of the squad, Julian Draxler, that he would not be there in return, that was "a very difficult conversation," Loew revealed in the press conference that followed after the fan question time and in which then, possibly less creatively, but more purposefully about the nominations.

No Draxler, instead the Bavarian young star Jamal Musiala, plus the returnees Müller and Hummels, but instead the renunciation of Jérôme Boateng, who was sorted out two years ago with the two who are now returning.

Boateng enjoyed his "highest recognition, he did a great job for Germany," said Loew, but "we also have other good defenders," so the decision was made to only use Hummels.

Marco Reus, the Dortmund captain who had voluntarily renounced an EM mission, he would otherwise have appointed, revealed Löw.

And he is not worried about Toni Kroos, who is in quarantine with a corona infection, one of those who is indispensable, at least from Löw's point of view, Löw firmly reckons on his use, but if things turn out differently, there will be » a plan B «.

Loew was convinced that they would »play a good tournament«. The DFB can still try so much to do something different, it can even change the national coach: Joachim Löw will always be convinced that the DFB team will play a good tournament.

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2021-05-22

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.