National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has already fulfilled the requirement to lead Germany back into the top four nations of Europe at the European Championships in England. But she wouldn’t be herself if she didn’t have bigger things in mind.
What particularly distinguishes your trainer? Laura Freigang and Giulia Gwinn don’t have to think long: “She always wants to win,” says one. “Really always – even when playing cards”, the other.
“It wasn’t always easy. I’m just happy for her and also for us that things are working now, that the wheels are meshing,” emphasizes Freigang and concludes from the German winning streak: “That means that she’s doing quite well right now.”
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was an outstanding footballer. As a player with her clubs anyway, but also in the national team, with which the offensive player became vice world champion in 1995 and four times European champion. Her goal for the European Championships in England is clear: “We want to play in Wembley,” emphasizes the 54-year-old – at the place where the final is taking place. But before that, as in the third group game, they go to Milton Keynes, on Wednesday (July 27th, 2022) France will be waiting in the semi-finals.
Rethinking after the 2019 World Cup
Germany had to give up twice in a row in the quarter-finals. 2017 at the European Championships in the Netherlands under Steffi Jones. Two years later at the first major tournament under MVT at the World Cup in France. “It was important that we break this spell now,” says Gwinn happily and reports: “Martina fell away a lot at that moment because there was a lot of pressure on her shoulders. After the game against Austria, she no longer had a voice. She is always so full of passion.”
The end against the Swedes (1: 2) in France led to changes in the national coach. In the analysis, she came to the conclusion: “I unconsciously overwhelmed one or the other.” She also found “that it doesn’t help me if I’m too tense or cramped”.
But the right way between tension and looseness remained a narrow one. When it came to stress control, for example, she overshot the target, or rather: stayed well below it. During the courses, the players repeatedly felt underchallenged, as they reported in the documentary “Born for this”. There was a discussion and a big step towards more communication between Voss-Tecklenburg and her coaching team on the one hand and the team council and the other players on the other.
Words of praise from the captain and the sport director
“It’s good for the players that they don’t have the feeling that Martina is always there with the raised index finger and doesn’t like what they’re doing,” recognized the football teacher. And captain Alexandra Popp is satisfied: “It’s much easier to take us players on board. We didn’t have that in the past.”
It’s good for the players that they don’t have the feeling that Martina is always there with the raised index finger and doesn’t like what they’re doing at the moment.
Panagiotis “Joti” Chatzialexiou also found this out. “Over the past three years, she has built up a different relationship with the players and that is paying off a lot,” says the sporting director for national teams at the DFB, who emphasizes that Voss-Tecklenburg “did a great job at the 2019 World Cup ” have.
However, Chatzialexiou believes that the national coach is now “in a better balance”: “I perceive her to be very focused, but still with a certain ease.” Completing an entire tournament in tension is not possible. “We also need joy of playing on the pitch. And if that isn’t communicated by the coaching staff, it won’t work the way we want it to.”
Tactical tricks are fully appreciated in England
One thing is certain: Voss-Tecklenburg reaches their players. The success tactic appears tailor-made. High pressing against Denmark, a concentrated defense combined with offensive pinpricks against Spain, absolute control of the game against Finland and the Austrian defense cracking down the wide lanes and the goalkeeper coming in – four games, four clean sheets. “When the players see that what we have planned is working, it gives them additional security,” says the national coach.
Photos of the grandchild give Voss-Tecklenburg strength
In her active time she had to assert herself against very special resistance. After the birth of her daughter, she repeatedly had to justify why she continued her career as a single mother. That didn’t just cost mental strength.
But in the meantime it is not least the family that gives her important strength these days. On the one hand her husband, with whom she makes (at least visual) contact in the stadium. On the other hand, her daughter, who made the national coach a grandmother four months ago and regularly provides her mother with photos of the baby. “Then I’ll be fine,” reveals Voss-Tecklenburg and smiles.
Semi-final requirement already achieved – final dream lives on
Even if everything is at stake at the European Championships, it can actually be quite relaxed. “Oliver Bierhoff has set the goal of being among the top four nations,” reports the national coach on the requirement of the DFB managing director for national teams. “We’ve done that before. It gives us energy. And we can be proud.”
But Voss-Tecklenburg naturally strives for more. “We will give everything we have in us on Wednesday,” she promised on Saturday evening (07/23/2022), immediately after the opponent had been determined and added: “We hope that France also has respect for our performance. It will a game of equals, little things will probably decide it.”
And of course not only the national coach wants to win the duel. “First of all, the semi-finals are coming. But the final is getting closer, we’re only one step away from it,” says Gwinn. “And that is the dream of every single one of us.”