Before the World Cup game against Spain, the German team is not allowed to nominate a player despite a corona infection. The national coach is annoyed that a DFB proposal to UEFA before the tournament was unsuccessful.
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has criticized UEFA’s handling of players who tested positive for the corona virus at the European Football Championship. The 54-year-old is particularly upset that subsequent nominations are not possible in such cases.
“I really want to use the moment now to put my finger on the wound a bit. We asked UEFA beforehand to think about whether we could take 26 players with us. That was not guaranteed, although the men at the World Cup were can do”said Voss-Tecklenburg.
The DFB women will have to do without Lea Schüller in the second group game against title candidate Spain today (9:00 p.m. live on Sportschau) at the Brentford Community Stadium. The goalscorer from FC Bayern Munich had tested positive for the virus and was isolated from the team.
Men’s European Championship and World Cup with 26 players, only 23 players at the women’s European Championship
In view of the pandemic situation, the German Football Association had already started an approach to the European Football Union last winter in order to obtain approval for a 26 instead of 23 squad at the European Championship – without success. UEFA regulations do not allow late nominations after the first game during the tournament. Exceptions are goalkeepers.
At the 2021 men’s European Championship, UEFA allowed 26 players per squad. At that time, three players always had to be in the stands, as the football rules stipulated a maximum of twelve players on the bench. The rulers of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) have now raised that number to 15. FIFA allows 26 players at the men’s World Cup in Qatar, all 15 substitutes are allowed on the bench.
Voss-Tecklenburg: “Reconsider for future tournaments”
“That doesn’t correspond to my personal fair play concept”said Voss-Tecklenburg. “That contradicts me as a sportswoman and I ask UEFA to consider this for future tournaments.” There are also other teams with isolated corona cases at the European Championship.
The DFB women already had a case in preparation with captain Alexandra Popp. Voss-Tecklenburg described in detail how sensitive the German delegation was to corona measures. “We also know that like many other teams we don’t have an exclusive hotel. We know that we are out and about in public areas and of course we knew that we could only maintain a bubble to a limited extent.”
The record European champions live in a separate wing of a hotel in Brentford, but don’t have the place all to themselves.