Farewell to the rain from the German fans: Jule Brand after the defeat against Spain in the European Championship semi-final
Photo: dpa/Sebastian Christoph Gollnow
One last wave from sad eyes. Giovanna Hoffmann had stowed both suitcases, packed a memory and took the last autographs when her black van drove away from the team hotel on the Uetliberg in the west of Zurich on Thursday morning. Once again, the late starter of RB Leipzig should become a symbol of the German national women’s team. Faith does not move mountains in Switzerland – and perhaps the possibilities are too limited in some positions to climb the very big summit. Middle striker included.
The eight -time European champion Germany is out again. The European Championship final on Sunday in Basel will contest Spain and England in a new edition of the 2023 World Cup final. Hoffmann had not only defended itself on the pitch to all forces. Even after the semi-finals lost in the extension, the 26-year-old rejected it to stand up like a poured poodle-although the thanks to the many fans in the Letzigrund already poured a lot. “You saw that every single one is ready to give your life to play football for Germany and represent your country,” said Hoffmann and promised: “We will continue the foundation of mentality.”
DFB women convince with attitude and fighting spirit
On average, an average of 14.26 million TV viewers were able to convince themselves on Wednesday evening. And if both Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz convey encouraging words, not so much went wrong. Setting, attitude, external presentation – everything flawlessly. Half -finals lost, heart won. The affection flew to the players at their tired fighting spirit because they had brought everything out of themselves every second. In the fairway of the praise under the rain-protected canopy, those responsible also swam from the German Football Association (DFB) in order to add a outlook reaching far beyond Lake Zurich.
“Something wonderful has started with this tournament. The cohesion bears for the upcoming games and beyond, «explained DFB President Bernd Neuendorf. And sports director Nia Künzer explained that after a “short night and great disappointment”, you leave with the feeling of “doing something big”. Even captain Giulia Gwinn came back to the hotel with her big rail around the injured knee to say with pathos: »You saw how a team can grow and grow beyond herself. The team would have more than deserved the final. ”In addition to Gwinn, however, it would have needed at least the Lena Oberdorf, which had not become fit in time, and the Sjoeke Nüsken, which had been blocked at the wrong time. It was not undeserved that there was a defeat for the first time against the world champions polished for the ball.
World Cup 2027 as the next big goal
On the entire path of St. Gallen, Basel and Zurich, the soccer accents were too often on the track among the DFB women. Nevertheless, the goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who was at the Aitana Bonmati goal, also believed that more can jump out at the 2027 World Cup in Brazil: »The girls have incredible talent, incredible will, they have passion, they have the team spirit. Germany can look forward to the potential of each individual. ”
Christian Wück, who was actually higher with a playfully higher claim, wanted to have seen a “good tournament”. The national coach, after his European Championship premiere in the women’s area, “completely empty,” said an overall praise to this conspiratorial community: “We can be proud that we played such an EM that we sparked such an euphoria.” He learned a lot himself, “on and off the square”.
Wishes for tactics and talents
At the press conference, the 52-year-old formulated precisely at the press conference, which teachings need to be drawn. “We have to improve in the possession game and in technology.” For him, “the opportunities we did not play well, only a document. It still takes a development step “so that we have a team at some point who can win such tournaments”. For this, however, it needs more talents than Carlotta Wamser and Franziska Kett, who threw Wück into the cold water – and that swam faster than expected. Wamser, 20 years, and Kett, 21, are actually trained offensive players who convinced with speed and technology in the chain of four. But both had hardly any time in their clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich.
“Sometimes it only takes the courage to bring such players,” noted Neuendorf, who advised all clubs in this country to “create more offers for girls and women” in order to serve the demand in the next few weeks and months. Wück, on the other hand, sees the association and clubs, especially in the obligation to do more in the promotion of talent. The flap better than the juniors, where there is also a lot, much more young performance centers, the former youth coach warned. “We have to improve, especially in the female youth area, so that we can get well -trained talents to the Bundesliga.”