The national team of women will meet the Netherlands in the Nations League today from 8.30 p.m. Before the game in Bremen, national coach Christian Wück commented on the allegations of poor communication with players for the first time.
On Thursday, DFB press spokeswoman Sonja Alger took the initiative on the podium in the Bremen press room – before journalists asked her questions, she addressed the national coach next to her and addressed the topic this week.
Playmaker Laura Freiang had admitted that the “communication disaster” described by some media was at least in public “a bit of the elephant in the room in recent days”. At the same time, freedom for Wück expressed understanding for Wück, who had only taken over the office last autumn by Horst Hrubesch.
Exchange with disappointed Felicitas Rauch
“Communication is and remains an important topic. If there are irritation, you have to clarify them, I have done it proactive,” said Wück now. “I have Feli (Felicitas Rauch, d. Editor) Called, we exchanged our points of view. “The defense lawyer had expressed her lack of understanding by the coaching team not being informed of the team against the Netherlands and not part of the squad in the games against the Netherlands by the coaching team.
Specifications with a team council
“We have clear rules,” said Wück. “If the status of a player changes, she will be contacted. Feli was recently nominated on call, this has not changed, so there was no communication.” Dealing with the 50-time international was not the only point in the past few weeks that raised questions.
Bundesliga top scorer Nicole Anyomi from Eintracht Frankfurt had previously explained that there had been no concrete and direct exchange with the national coach in recent months. According to Wück, too, “any lack of understanding” is cleared out of the way. In addition, he took up the topic in the team council, after a quiet exchange it was also done here. It remains to be seen whether this will be the case in public or to what extent “the elephant” leaves traces.
Wück admits errors in communication
Especially since there was also confusion about Bayern professional Lena Oberdorf: Wück called the Munich native to the squad for the first time after her cruciate ligament rupture and left open whether the midfielder could be used-while Oberdorf and her club explained that this was not an option and that the 23-year-old would only take part in the training.
Wück said in the ARD interview: “I can understand the confusion and this is also a point where I have to admit that I could have communicated more clearly. For me, it was priority that she could train with us, that we can get an impression. Internally, all players and Lena did not play.”
The DFB squad for the National League games
Goal: Ann-Katrin Berger, Stina Johannes, Ena Mahmutovic
Defense: Sara Doorsoun, Giulia Gwinn, Kathrin Hendrich, Franziska Kett, Sophia Kleinhern, Rebecca Knaak, Sarai Linder, Janina Minge, Carlotta Wamser
Midfield/attack: Jule Brand, Klara Bühl, Selina Cerci, Sara Däbritz, Linda Dallmann, Laura Freiang, Giovanna Hoffmann, Sydney Lohmann, Sjoeke Nüsken, Lea Schüller, Elisa Sense, Cora Zicai (and Lena Oberdorf)
Oberdorf also took part in the final training in Bremen – with obvious joy. “You can tell that she enjoys training with a team and prove herself. Her values are almost at the level of the other players. But we already notice that in one or the other situation she still listens to her body, which is quite normal. But with every training she gets more into the form in which we all know her.” The national coach left open whether Oberdorf could belong to the squad for the European Championship.
Zicai and Beerensteyn fail
The fifth game of the Nations League group phase is also the penultimate test before the European Championship in Switzerland, which started in early July. The first leg in February in Breda in Dutch ended 2-2 – an acceptable result, but the DFB team was lucky at the time that negligence in defense was not even more punished.
In Bremen, the Dutchmen have to forego Bundesiga goalkeeping queen Lineth Beersteyn, who fails due to muscular problems, the same applies to DFB attacker Cora Zicai. “The game is incredibly important for us. With a win we would first go to the group and should drive to the final four tournament of the Nations League. It is precisely with this spirit we want to tackle the whole thing. Regardless of this, the game is of course a hardest test for the euro,” said Wück. “We want to start the European Championship confidently.”
With two successes against the Netherlands and Austria, the team would obtain this self -confidence, at the same time write new headlines – and further drive away from the elephants.
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Sport Current | 29.05.2025 | 7:17 p.m.
