Sports show expert Bastian Schweinsteiger sees parallels to the months before the summer fairy tale in view of the current mood surrounding the German national soccer team.
After the 1-0 defeat in the friendly in Warsaw against Poland on Friday evening (June 16, 2023), sports show expert Schweinsteiger worried about the mood in the DFB team. The team currently has no sense of achievement, says Schweinsteiger, you have to be careful, “that this doesn’t stick in people’s minds, especially with regard to the European Championship“.
Schweinsteiger: “The team has to sit down at a table”
Schweinsteiger was critical in the analysis despite the improvement in performance in the second half. The team was again not able to convince over 90 minutes, although that was exactly what was expected: “The stadium is sold out, you can go out and play football. But the sparks still don’t fly, I don’t understand that.“The team is currently lacking a basic structure, according to Schweinsteiger, who nevertheless held the leading players responsible: “The team would have to sit down at a table and say: It can’t go on like this.”
Schweinsteiger: “Gray clouds over Germany”
“It reminds me a bit of the situations before the 2006 World Cup, there were also a bit of gray clouds over Germany,” said the sports show expert before the friendly in Warsaw.
Since the failed EM 2021 there have been “not positive changes” in the game of the DFB selection, criticized Schweinsteiger: “There weren’t really any games that made the fans cheer.” In any case, his worry lines with a view to the home EM 2024 “have gotten bigger,” said the 38-year-old: “Now you have to say: Thank God we still have a year.”
Schweinsteiger praises Flick
Schweinsteiger called it “sympathetic” that national coach Hansi Flick protected his players after the disappointing 3-3 draw against Ukraine in Bremen. But the former Bayern professional also confirmed: “It’s also the case that the team is expected to react. I’m excited about that. As a coach, you put yourself in front of the team, but the players are on the pitch.”