Doha (dpa) – Hansi Flick made his way to the airport in the evening. The national coach was in a hurry after the draw for the World Cup preliminary round groups – in the short time in Doha he had already gained important insights for the big World Cup goal in less than eight months.
Germany will first play Japan, Spain and the winners of the playoff between Costa Rica and New Zealand in the finals (21 November to 18 December). Flick and his team can now start planning the details.
The group opponents
Spain is an old friend. Flick should also remember the lost European Championship final in 2008 and the semifinals at the 2010 World Cup painfully. At that time, Flick was Joachim Löw’s assistant. Flick was not there when the Nations League went down 6-0 in November 2020, and Löw was replaced after the European Championships in summer 2021. Germany has only played two international matches against Japan, none of them at a World Cup. Costa Rica and New Zealand will play for the World Cup ticket on June 13th or 14th. The DFB selection met the Central Americans at the start of the 2006 home World Cup – Philipp Lahm scored the first goal of the tournament in the 4-2 win in Munich. “Now we’re just waiting to see how they play,” said Flick.
The preparation
Flick hardly has time before the World Cup to swear in his national players. The suspension period does not begin until November 14, immediately after the 15th Bundesliga matchday. Nine days later, the game against Japan kicks off. The DFB is planning a test match in the hot preparation phase, as DFB director Oliver Bierhoff confirmed on Friday evening. The opponent has not yet been determined, but should come from the field of World Cup participants. “We have developed an if-then strategy. Now let’s see how we fix it,” said Flick.
The WM quarters
The base camp for the national team has not yet been officially announced. According to reports, however, the Zulal Wellness Resort in the very north of the emirate is the clear favourite. The luxury complex is located a good 100 kilometers north of the capital Doha. Bierhoff listed several advantages for a remote quarter compared to a hotel right in the city. “We will go deep into ourselves again,” said Bierhoff. “Of course, traffic in the city also plays a role.” There could be longer traffic jams in Doha during the World Cup, the city is expecting thousands of fans from the participating countries.
The team
Flick has always emphasized that he wants to rely on a strong axis in the DFB selection. His dream eleven should be largely certain. The big hope is that all players stay healthy. Leon Goretzka, Niklas Süle, Marco Reus and young star Florian Wirtz, among others, were absent from the last two international matches against Israel (2-0) and in Amsterdam against the Netherlands (1-1). There are still six competitive games in the Nations League before the World Cup, which Flick will also use to warm up – against European champions Italy, England and Hungary, who have not qualified for the World Cup.