Marbella (dpa) – DFB director Oliver Bierhoff has drawn an all-round positive conclusion from the training camp of the national soccer team in Spain before the Nations League.
“It was an extremely positive time, including when the players relaxed with their families. We continued to grow together,” said Bierhoff at the “Marbella Football Center”. “We worked very hard here in the mornings,” said the 54-year-old national team director.
“It was also our goal to get the players out of vacation before the important Nations League,” explained Bierhoff. Like national coach Hansi Flick before him, Bierhoff also described the camp with 26 players as an important building block on the way to the World Cup finals in Qatar: “We have big goals this year, the World Cup is coming up. And we have to go the extra mile there. “
After a free weekend, the DFB squad will meet again next Monday in Herzogenaurach for the final preparation for the four Nations League games against Italy (June 4 and 14), England (June 7) and Hungary (June 11). ). “Now the players can catch their breath again. And then the competition phase really starts,” said Bierhoff. With games against big football nations, the Nations League is “the first degree of hardness towards the World Cup”.
At the last training session on Friday morning with an intensive small-sided tournament, all 26 players were in action, including Leon Goretzka, who was sidelined the day before due to an ankle injury.