So the chancellor is also coming on Sunday. “That was a great achievement”, wrote Olaf Scholz on Twitter, after the soccer players had reached the European Championship final. He is looking forward to going to London and supporting the German team at Wembley Stadium. Scholz was one of more than twelve million people who watched the 2-1 win against France in front of the screen and saw players who inspire with their football and their approachable, down-to-earth manner.
Of course, the German Football Association is also happy about that. President Bernd Neuendorf said: “These are players who were probably not well known to the general public just a few weeks ago and who are suddenly on everyone’s lips. They are ambassadors.” As prominent role models, as with male footballers, they are necessary in order to bring more children into the clubs. While the association called its men “The Team” for years until this Thursday, the women fill out this picture without nicknames in the best possible way. Which is primarily their merit. But above all, the DFB can also be praised for a decision.
After extraordinarily successful years with two World Cup and eight European Championship titles as well as Olympic gold in 2016, the tournaments in 2017 and 2019 ended in the quarter-finals, Tokyo 2021 was missed. The development in women’s football had progressed – and the DFB was not well enough prepared for it. The first time the trainer (Steffi Jones) didn’t fit, the next time the right trainer (Martina Voss-Tecklenburg) didn’t have enough time. It is now evident that it was right and important in this phase to place long-term trust in the experienced and strong manager Voss-Tecklenburg.
Not everything went wonderfully during the three-year preparation for the European Championship. But the national coach did not react to an impulse from the players with fear of losing authority, but saw the feedback for a changed approach as an opportunity. The coaching team also went into retreat. Voss-Tecklenburg, her assistants, captain Alexandra Popp&Co, they all worked intensively with each other and defined clear roles. Time alone is not enough, it takes a good, clear plan and a serious interest in each other.
Without these steps and the associated footballing and mental development, Wembley 2022 would not have been possible. Tactical and personal decisions worked out, with every victory this team grew together. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has already said that she has “a vision of 2027” when Germany wants to host the World Cup with the Netherlands and Belgium. Your current contract ends after the 2023 World Cup, qualifying for this is a mere formality – it should also be a long-term contract extension.