National team
Völler’s announcement at the end of the season: “Put it on”
National coach Hansi Flick (l) and DFB sports director Rudi Völler. photo
© Arne Dedert/dpa
Hansi Flick gathers the national team in Frankfurt for the last international matches of the season. Some come as title winners, others frustrated – and some late.
Hansi Flick has to improvise. The national coach welcomes his national football players in Frankfurt am Main today.
Some of them come from a short vacation, some are lucky enough to win the title, but some are still frustrated after the last unsuccessful club appearances. And sometimes they will join the team late. That doesn’t make the national coach’s work at the end of the season any easier.
Nevertheless, DFB sports director Rudi Völler expects the 26 players, the national coach Flick for the 1000th international match against Ukraine and the following test games against Poland and Colombia, to build up real excitement again.
After all, exactly one year before the start of the home European Championship, urgently needed sporting progress is at stake. “It’s important that everyone who’s there goes a step further after the season,” warned the 63-year-old ex-DFB team boss Völler.
Flick tries to stoke the motivation
The Munich champions around interim captain Joshua Kimmich are back from a week’s vacation, while the Dortmund pros around Emre Can and Julian Brandt are still deeply disappointed after the dramatically missed title on the last day of the Bundesliga. Leipzig’s Timo Werner, Lukas Klostermann, Benjamin Henrichs and David Raum arrive as DFB Cup winners. The Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp comes as a final loser.
Flick tried in advance to stoke the motivation. “To be able to play in the 1000th international match against Ukraine is something special for every player,” he said. Flick spoke of “three strong opponents”. However, the national coach will not be able to welcome all of the invited players to the team hotel near Frankfurt on Wednesday evening.
Manchester City captain Ilkay Gündogan and returnee Robin Gosens from Inter Milan will only face each other as opponents in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday. They will only arrive after the Ukraine game, which takes place in Bremen next Monday. Thilo Kehrer is playing with West Ham United in the Conference League final in Prague against AC Fiorentina.
And Marc-André ter Stegen, who is currently number 1 in goal after captain Manuel Neuer’s serious leg injury, will also arrive later. The 31-year-old traveled to Japan with FC Barcelona after the last game of the season in Spain. Barça played Vissel Kobe at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Tuesday. It was Andres Iniesta’s last game for Kobe. The 39-year-old had spent his most successful career years in Barcelona. By the way, regular keeper ter Stegen was allowed to take it easy, he watched from the substitutes’ bench.