Another stressful summer awaits the DFB women with European Championship qualification and the Olympic Games. Club representatives are concerned about the long-term burden.
A snake: There are hardly any breaks in Alexandra Popp’s schedule Photo: image
Horst Hrubesch no longer has any illusions that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will fulfill his sincere wish at the end of his coaching career. The wheels of this organization are “too long-winded”; everything would take “a year or two” before anything changes in the athletes’ favor. Ergo geh the interim coach of the DFB women assumes that only 16 field players and two goalkeepers may again be nominated for the Olympic football tournament, while 23 or 26 players are now allowed for the European Championships and World Cups.
In addition to the German Football Association (DFB), other countries also tried to adapt. Vain. “It irritates me because of the burden,” Hrubesch said during a media roundtable on Wednesday. The busy competition calendar for women is also leading to an enormous flow of appointments this summer, leaving European top players in particular with little breathing space.
For the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Poland – first in Rostock on May 31 (8:30 PM/ZDF), then in Gdynia on June 4 (6:00 PM/ARD) – Hrubesch is resolutely planning two victories, “so that we can focus on ourselves “We can prepare for the Olympic Games.” As a group first or second, Germany would immediately qualify for the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland and could be tested a bit in the matches against Iceland and Austria in July. To this end, his national players return from holiday and start preparing in the clubs to be called up for the DFB selection again.
At the Olympic Games there are at best six meetings if the dream of a medal is to become reality. No matter how attractive the southern French location Marseille is for the first group matches against fourth-placed World Cup Australia (July 25) and record world champion USA (July 28), the tight schedule and expected summer heat already have club representatives sweating in fear . Ralf Kellermann, women’s sports director at VfL Wolfsburg, recently called it ‘dangerous to health if it continues like this’. Playing a game every three days ‘at 40 degrees in the shade’ ‘that’s tough.’
Waive special course
The number two is especially affected because goalkeeper Merle Frohms, Kathrin Hendrich, Marina Hegering, Jule Brand and Alexandra Popp are considered safe Olympic riders, Vivien Endemann and newcomer Janina Minge from SC Freiburg also have a chance.
Hrubesch can understand such concerns. “I know it’s a balancing act and not that easy.” The clubs came together to avoid an embarrassing dismissal dispute such as before the 2023 World Cup in Australia. FC Bayern released its national players at a late stage.
The summer schedule now set by the clubs and associations stipulates that the players “will be charged and relieved to the best of their knowledge and belief,” explained. DFB sports director Nia Künzer. Hrubesch forgoes a planned special course and relies on developing individual fitness plans. ‘It’s easiest if you make the girls responsible. On the one hand, they get a holiday, but on the other hand, we try to prepare them specifically for the Olympic Games.”
There remains a balancing act: including the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland, top players like Lena Oberdorf will have played four major tournaments within four years. It is not possible to sit still for a few weeks in the summer. The midfielder, who is now moving from VfL Wolfsburg to FC Bayern, had that in the documentary “Born for this” stated that he had temporarily lost all motivation. However, the Olympic Games are very important for women. “There is something in it,” said Hrubesch, who led the German men to the Olympic final in 2016. “I can only recommend this to everyone.”