Doha (AP) – Hansi Flick left Doha in a hurry. The trip to the glittering draw show with the “Hammer” lot Spain was only a short trip for the national coach.
In the coming months leading up to the controversial World Cup in Qatar, the German national team will face some difficult challenges – on and off the soccer field. Shortly before leaving, Flick left no doubt about the sporting goal. “We want to go as far as possible,” said the 57-year-old. At the group photo of the national coaches, the golden World Cup trophy was already within reach.
Spain game on the first advent
In addition to the former world champion, Japan and the winner of the playoff game between Costa Rica and New Zealand are waiting in the preliminary round. The Japan game will kick off at 2 p.m. German time on November 23, the big game against Spain will follow four days later on the first Sunday of Advent at the contemplative kick-off time at 8 p.m. Likewise the third group game on December 1st. A lot will be different at this World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino couldn’t say enough. The Swiss already praised the finals as “the best of all time”, as the “greatest show on earth”. Only this week, however, human rights organizations again denounced the serious abuses in Qatar, the big show is playing in a dark shadow. This will also accompany the DFB selection in the coming months.
FIFA boss raves about the “greatest show on earth”
“It is our task for the next few months to position ourselves clearly,” said Flick on the human rights situation in Qatar. The national coach and Oliver Bierhoff announced further talks with the national players, who had received visits from human rights organizations in the team headquarters near Frankfurt/Main last week. Discussion rounds are planned for the summer, said Bierhoff in Doha. “Not only with human rights organizations, but with people from different areas, including people who have worked here in order to have very authentic reports and to get a picture of how this country works.”
The new DFB President Bernd Neuendorf used the stay in Qatar with the FIFA Congress on Thursday and the draw for talks “with human rights organizations, also with the embassy and other representatives who are relevant in these matters”, as he said in an interview with the ZDF “Sportstudios” said. Then the association could position itself “seriously and well”.
Test match in the hot preparation phase
The national team will only be there shortly before the tournament. The suspension period begins on 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. 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.
In the Nations League, there are still six competitive games to play in the course of the World Cup year, against European champions Italy, who have not qualified for the World Cup, as well as England and Hungary. Opponents who are agreed to determine their position – before the initially most difficult World Cup game against co-favorite Spain. When Germany’s record national player Lothar Matthäus drew Germany into Spain Group E, it was “awesome”, as Flick said. In the round of 16, opponents from Group F would be waiting – Belgium, Canada, Morocco or Croatia. In the quarterfinals, Brazil would be a possible opponent.
Spain not necessarily first choice
“All teams have developed, all teams have something special,” said Flick. “We just have to see that we prevail.” The lost European Championship final in 2008 and the semifinals at the 2010 World Cup should also be painful memories for the national coach. 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.
“Spain isn’t exactly our dream team, and we’ve had problems there a few times, whether it was in 2010, 2012 or in the Nations League,” said Bierhoff. “But Hansi will be particularly concerned about that. You have to reckon with tough opponents at every World Cup.” During the night, the Spanish media vacillated between anticipation and great respect. “Spain was drawn for the monster,” was the headline in the specialist newspaper “AS”. The rival newspaper “Marca” wrote of a “fearful opponent”.