When the German national team gathered on Monday, the choice of meeting point fit well with the end of this international match year, which in a sense also marks a beginning. The national players did not travel to Frankfurt to the association’s own pitches of the German Football Association, but to Stuttgart. At the VfB training ground in Bad Cannstatt they prepared for the game this Friday (8 p.m., zdf.de) against Switzerland, for the first time ever. But it wasn’t just the surroundings that were new, there were also many faces that could shape the future of the DFB women.
At the previous appearances in October, there was constant talk of the upheaval that began after winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games. The changes, including the change of coach, were known long enough. But it seemed more like the team was in transit; the new phase wasn’t really noticeable yet. Captain Alexandra Popp was still on the pitch, one last time for the national team, Merle Frohms and Marina Hegering also arrived for their own farewell. But now these three are actually missing, and with the game in Zurich and the conclusion against Italy on Monday in Bochum, national coach Christian Wück’s test series is entering the next phase with a view to the 2025 European Championship.
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It wasn’t just Bayern President Hainer who once thought: In order to develop, the women’s league has to get out of the DFB. But now the clubs and associations are working more closely together than ever before. The fact that the plan is now stalling also has to do with a few powerful men.
Wück emphasized on Thursday that he did not take age into account when nominating the 23-man squad. But whether wanted or not, the generational change is clear; 14 players are 25 years old or younger. Because Olympic goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, 34, is taking a break after a long season in the USA with NJ/NY Gotham FC, two young keepers can show off: In addition to Stina Johannes (Eintracht Frankfurt), 20-year-old Ena Mahmutovic ( FC Bayern) and 21-year-old Sophia Winkler (SGS Essen). Winkler will make her debut against Switzerland, Wück appreciates the security and sovereignty she already has for her age. Berger, with all her experience, is not out, but is firmly scheduled for the first Nations League games next year. But after that, Wück announced, there is no guarantee: “We will then see who will prevail for the European Championships.”
“We also have to get away from this thinking that young players are not capable of winning games,” says national coach Christian Wück
He would like to announce the competition in an XXL format, but – at least at the moment – it doesn’t work quite the way Wück imagines in an ideal football world. He misses strong young talent, especially on defense. “I talked about how, in the best case scenario, I would like to have a pool of 30 or 40 players that I can choose from,” he said. “Unfortunately, we are still a long way from this number.” The newly founded U23 team should help to change that. Until this measure takes effect, Wück is expanding the circle of candidates by using as many talents as possible. In October they were Lisanne Gräwe from Frankfurt, 21, and Giovanna Hoffmann from Leipzig, 26. Now, in addition to the goalkeepers on the offensive, there are Cora Zicai from SC Freiburg, who is celebrating her 20th birthday on Friday, and Alara Sehitler from FC Bayern , 18 years old since Wednesday.
Both are reserved off the pitch, Wück said, but both are making their mark on the pitch. That’s exactly what he wants to see. To put it bluntly, the new guys shouldn’t worry, they should just kick it. “I even demand that they make mistakes – and that they know that they are allowed to make mistakes. “You should live your life out on the pitch, not go in with inhibitions, but try it out,” Wück clarified. He was amused by the question of whether the result was even important with such a young squad. The nature of the test should not hide the fact that Wück and his coaching team are still concerned with pushing their own playing philosophy. This has already been achieved against England (4:3) and Australia (1:2): “We also have to get away from this thinking that young players are not able to win games or decide games.”
The upheaval means that – at least this time – veterans such as Sara Däbritz, Lina Magull and Lena Lattwein are only nominated on call and Nicole Anyomi, who has always been considered most recently, is not there either. Christian Wück doesn’t want this to be seen as a withdrawal of trust, but that’s just how it is: his national team doesn’t have that much time to try out what might work and with whom, without the pressure of results. The national coach also made it clear that there will be no player at the European Championships who doesn’t believe she can win the title. No matter how old she is.
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