DFB had planned a World Cup documentary – will the film series about the national team now be cancelled?

Created: 02/12/2022 16:27

By: Stefan Schmid

In September, the DFB announced that it would be filming the World Cup.

After the preliminary round knockout, the documentary could mutate into a tragedy – or be canceled altogether.

Munich/Frankfurt –

The German Football Association (DFB) wanted to create a documentary together with

It should show the way from the low point, the preliminary round at the 2018 World Cup, back to the top of football.

However, since football does not follow a script but writes its own stories, the situation is now completely different. Instead of returning to the top of the world, the 2022 World Cup is already over in the preliminary round.

Double low point, instead of big jubilation scenes.

Now the question arises whether the planned documentary series will appear at all.

Because it would not be the first football documentary to be canceled in the end.

World Cup 2022: DFB team fails like four years before in the preliminary round - documentary series before the end?

The documentary in

format "All or Nothing" is to extend over six episodes and start with the elimination at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

National coach Hansi Flick promised "exclusive insight into our processes" and when the DFB announced the cooperation, they assumed a more successful performance in Qatar.

Now there is at least the perfect cinematic bracket, from one preliminary round to the next.

The DFB-Elf was not only accompanied by cameras on the pitch at the World Cup.

© Matthias Koch/Imago

Philip Pratt, Head of German Amazon Originals at Prime Video, had promised fans that they could "look forward to an exciting journey with the German national soccer team".

He probably had something else in mind than the early knockout in the group stage.

"It will be challenging, emotional and hopefully successful in the end," said Hansi Flick, explaining his expectations of the project.

It is always challenging and emotional for the fans when they want to review the unsuccessful journey of the national team.

World Cup documentary about the DFB team: will there be insights into the "One Love" discussion?

One can assume that the planners of the series planned with a focus on sporting success.

After the disappointing end in the preliminary round in Qatar, nothing will come of it.

And so the question of other, exciting insights arises.

Viewers may actually be able to get a glimpse of the internal team polls surrounding the discussion of the One Love armband, or the team's perspective on the Qatar World Cup in general.

Such an insight would definitely be desirable, because with a sporting focus of the documentation, no fan can be lured in front of the screen.

The statement by Marc Lepetit, responsible producer, who was already pleased in September "about the openness and trust of the team" gives hope for this.

However, one can only keep one's fingers crossed for the producers that the film material collected so far will be enough for the planned six episodes, not much should have been added at the World Cup itself.

The DFB's interest in documentation may have expired - Bundesliga club Hertha stopped a similar project

In addition to the question of who would want to see a documentary about maximum failure at all, there is also the question of whether the DFB is still interested in broadcasting it.

A stop, even if desired, by the DFB is probably out of the question.

The contracts with the streaming provider are finally closed and

will be able to steer the final production in a direction that will bring about the necessary calls.

By the way, the whole thing should be on display from spring 2023.

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One or the other will remember a planned documentary about Hertha BSC, the publication of which was stopped.

There, however, the then investor Lars Windhorst contractually had all the reins in his hands and was thus able to stop the production, which was probably unfavorable for him.

In the case of the DFB documentary, on the other hand, you will now have to decide on one of the many possible final scenes.

Perhaps the tight-lipped Bierhoff interview after the World Cup would be the most striking option.