Which animal it became instead
DFB stars wanted to bring Dog to the European Championship camp
Updated 12/30/2024 – 4:05 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The German national team impressed on the pitch at the European Championships and also had a lot of fun off it. A dog even almost ended up in the training camp.
A few more days until the documentary “Our Team – The Home European Championship 2024” will be released. On January 11, 2025, private broadcaster RTL and in selected cinemas at the European Championship venues will offer exclusive insights into the inner workings of the German national team at the European Championship in their own country.
A camera team followed the DFB selection for 40 days. Some media are now reporting in advance on various contents of the documentary, which not only deals with sporting highlights, but also with strange and emotional moments in the team’s quarters.
A humorous detail from the DFB camp in Herzogenaurach also becomes known, which shows how good the mood in the team was during the tournament. Within the team there were considerations about bringing a dog into the quarters in Herzogenaurach. Joshua Kimmich, David Raum and Robert Andrich were particularly committed to the idea and searched the Internet for suitable dogs.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann, however, expressed concerns: “Who will clean up the piles?” The players suggested that the loser of the warm-up game should take on this task. Andrich also offered to adopt the dog after the tournament.
In the end, however, the choice fell on another pet. Antonio Rüdiger’s fear of dogs may also have played a role in the decision. In any case, instead of a dog, a canary named Ringo moved into the camp. With his distinctive mullet feathers, he became the team’s mascot. Raum explains in the documentary: “Ringo loves cucumbers, lettuce and apples. He is looked after like a superstar.”
The 90-minute review also includes a look at the bitter quarter-final defeat against Spain.
After a controversial referee decision – a missed hand penalty against Marc Cucurella – Germany lost 2-1 after extra time and said goodbye to the tournament. Despite the elimination: The DFB team’s performance thrilled the fans and sparked new hope. It won’t be long before all fans can once again immerse themselves in the emotional European Championship summer via screen and cinema screen.