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DFB director Oliver Bierhoff
Photo: HEIKO BECKER / REUTERS
DFB national team director Oliver Bierhoff sees no excessive stress problems in the tight schedule before the World Cup in Qatar.
"In my opinion, there is no greater burden from the World Cup," he said at the DFB press conference before the international matches against Hungary and England.
He contradicted numerous voices from the European leagues.
Among other things, Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp and the coaches Oliver Glasner (Frankfurt) and Marco Rose (Leipzig) complained about the high strain on the players.
Although things are building up through the World Cup in November, "but without the World Cup, the teams would have played English weeks during this time," said the DFB director - then in the league and European Cup.
In addition, the national players had “a longer break in the summer” due to the unusual World Cup schedule.
He sees it "not negatively in the overall view".
Many club coaches see it differently.
Glasner had complained: "The limit has been exceeded - and then you pop out another World Cup in winter," said the Eintracht coach.
"The players are partially overloaded."
direction is "against the wall"
New RB coach Rose said: "When you see our internationals, who now have two games and come from English weeks, go to six English weeks - then of course you have to say that it's too much for the boys and eventually they too reach their limits.” And Klopp had complained that the direction football was taking was “against the wall”.
In front of the press, Bierhoff confirmed the goal of the national team to make the World Cup victorious.
"I've been saying it for years: as a German national team, it must be an ambition to win such a tournament."
The national team is currently preparing on the new DFB campus in Frankfurt am Main for the two upcoming Nations League international matches on Friday in Leipzig against Hungary and on Thursday in London against England.
These are the last international matches before national coach Hansi Flick nominates the squad.
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