DFB vice-president criticizes national players

National team - DFB vice-president criticizes national players - Völler counters

DFB vice-president Ralph-Uwe Schaffert has caused quite a stir with his renewed harsh criticism of the German national team players and not only caused a lack of understanding among sports director Rudi Völler.

"It would be time to radically change the playing personnel," said Schaffert in an interview with the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" and the "Neue Presse" - and the president of the North German and Lower Saxony associations caught several retorts on Thursday.

Völler told the "Bild" newspaper that it was "nice that everyone is interested in the national team, and criticism is perfectly acceptable after the last few games. But the way to criticize our important players in such an exaggerated manner is not acceptable. Because Schaffert also explicitly mentioned Joshua Kimmich by name, Bayern boss Jan-Christian Dreesen was "more than irritated".

Not Schaffert's first criticism

This is not the first time Schaffert has attracted attention with clear criticism. This time, the 67-year-old accused many national team players of lacking attitude just six months before the start of the European Championship in their own country.

"Because I have the feeling with quite a few of the players currently playing that they think they can perhaps get by with 85 percent of their possible effort on the pitch," said Schaffert. "It used to be an honor to play for Germany. Today, I have the feeling that it's a burden. Then I shouldn't do it if I have this attitude."

Völler said that he could not imagine that Schaffert really meant that. "I'll be happy to explain it to him again over a cup of coffee," said the DFB sports director. Previously, DFB spokesman Steffen Simon had said in an initial reaction to Schaffert's comments: "The interview was not coordinated. We will deal with it internally."

The DFB vice-president caused a stir at the beginning of this year when he criticized the national players for their behaviour during the World Cup in Qatar at the New Year's reception of his home district association in Hildesheim. "If the German national team players cover their mouths like monkeys and order a hairdresser to their hotel, we shouldn't be surprised if they lose against Japan," said the most powerful soccer official in northern Germany at the time.

Schaffert criticizes Kimmich and Gündogan

Before the 2-1 opening defeat at the World Cup against Japan, the national players had demonstratively covered their mouths. They wanted to protest against the ban on the "One Love" captain's armband by the world governing body FIFA. Schaffert later apologized for the monkey comparison and was publicly admonished by his DFB Executive Committee colleague Ronny Zimmermann to be "fair".

And now the new criticism from the lawyer, who worked as a judge at the Celle Higher Regional Court for almost 25 years. In the interview, Schaffert mentioned Kimmich (Bayern Munich) and Ilkay Gündogan (FC Barcelona) by name. Kimmich has "so far failed to prove" that he is a leading player. "Even at the club." Dreesen countered: "It is incomprehensible when the vice president of the DFB criticizes the performance of a deserving and important national player like Joshua Kimmich at his club." Schaffert was doing the DFB selection "a disservice".

In the case of national team captain Gündogan, "strangely enough, he plays outstandingly well at club level and then plays in such a way in the national team that you might get the idea: Has he now sent his less talented twin brother?" said Schaffert. Basically, you have to think about the national team: "Perhaps we no longer only need the highly talented, but perhaps also those who are willing to roll up their sleeves."

Praise for Nagelsmann

Regardless of his criticism of the national team players, Schaffert also sees a problem with the DFB: as an association, it is no longer in a position to keep up with the sums paid in club soccer when looking for a new coach. "The next national coach will no longer get what a Hansi Flick got - because the DFB can no longer afford it," said Schaffert. "You hardly ever have a Bundesliga coach who earns less than a million. It's all gone so through the roof that you can hardly cut back."

The current national coach Julian Nagelsmann, however, comes off well with the DFB vice-chairman. "Personally, Julian Nagelsmann has already convinced me - he introduced himself to us on the supervisory board and presidium," said Schaffert. "I think that was the best of all the possible options."