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Stefan Kuntz, coach of the German Olympic footballers
Photo: Ina Fassbender / dpa
There were only 18 left: After Cologne U21 European champion Ismail Jakobs had decided to move to AS Monaco, coach Stefan Kuntz had to reduce his squad again.
Preparing for the season at the new club is more important than the Olympic football tournament, which starts on July 22nd.
How so much seems more important than a good and successful appearance of the DFB selection at the games in Tokyo.
The fact that Kuntz does not get four places in his potential Olympic squad is "embarrassing" himself. Since, in contrast to world or European championships, for Olympic football tournaments, according to Fifa, there is no obligation for clubs to turn off their players, the U-21 European champion coach Kuntz had to go on a begging tour. And was bitterly disappointed.
The chances of a strong squad were actually good - precisely because of the corona pandemic: Due to the postponement of the games by one year, Fifa had already decided in April 2020 that all players born after December 31, 1996 may participate these had also contributed to the qualification. The German selection qualified as one of four European teams at the 2019 U-21 European Championship. That expanded the circle of candidates - theoretically.
But only a few clubs were willing to cooperate, especially Union Berlin.
Although the Berliners are the first German club to play a competitive game as a participant in the new Conference League, they have given their best professional Max Kruse approval.
Kruse will be one of the three players who were born before December 31, 1996.
Since Kruse's club colleague Cedric Teuchert is also there, Union is, alongside Hertha BSC and FC Augsburg, one of three teams that has two players on the squad.
13 Bundesliga clubs are giving up players, including the newly promoted Bochum and Fürth.
Other clubs were less cooperative.
"Unfortunately, some large clubs did not want to help as hoped," Kuntz was quoted as saying on the DFB website.
In the ARD, he followed up: At some clubs he “doesn't even get the third goalkeeper”.
No help from the master from Munich
It is clear who this statement was directed against: Bayern Munich had refused to release their third goalkeeper Ron-Torben Hoffmann.
Hoffmann, who so far had zero minutes in the Bundesliga, will be needed thanks to Manuel Neuer’s EM vacation and the injuries of goalkeepers number four and five.
Whether this decision was made clear to Kuntz on ARD: "I have to curb my emotions a bit."
In a program on »DHBSpotlight«, however, Kuntz also showed »neutral understanding«, since »Olympia falls in the middle of the preparatory phase«.
If everything goes well in Tokyo, the players won't be back at their clubs until the cup weekend, a week before the start of the league (August 13).
Nevertheless: "A little more support would have been possible."
Bad luck came with the nomination: The originally planned Josha Vagnoman and Niklas Dorsch had to cancel.
HSV professional Vagnoman due to an injury, Dorsch moved to FC Augsburg at the beginning of July, who would have had to play three instead of the agreed two players.
For them, the Freiburg Keven Schlotterbeck and Ragnar Ache (Eintracht Frankfurt) were nominated.
The squad positions 19 to 22 remained vacant - the silver medalist from 2016 is the only participating selection who does not fully utilize his possible positions.
Spaniards with top line-up - thanks to the sports law
When the plane with the German Olympic footballers takes off from Frankfurt to Tokyo on Tuesday evening at 6.15 p.m., Kuntz may think of his Spanish colleague Luis de la Fuente with a bit of envy during the eleven and a half hour flight.
He can fall back on goalkeeper Unai Simón, young star Pedri and offensive force Mikel Oyarzabal in his squad.
This is made possible by the Spanish sports law: Players must be released for the Olympic Games, regardless of what the Fifa stipulates in terms of dismissal regulations.
Spain, for example, is going to Tokyo with six European Championship participants, and Germany will not even have Bayern Munich's senior league goalkeeper in the Olympic opener against Brazil (July 22, 10.30 a.m. CEST).