Poltergeist Hrubesch doesn 't want to hear about the goodbye.
He comes as a crisis manager after the World Cup disaster and lets the German women's footballers dream of an Olympic medal. The DFB women can no longer gold-plate the departure of Horst Hrubesch, but they are playing for bronze. What is important to the players, their coach does not want to dwell on too much.
No fuss about his departure - and an entry in the history books of the DFB is the last thing Horst Hrubesch needs after his last game as national coach. "Historical, what's historical about that?", the 73-year-old snapped when asked. "There are also people who go to work on their last day and then retire. That's no different." Hrubesch, of course, wishes for a medal in the bronze medal match against the Spanish world champions at the Olympics: "It would be important for me if the girls got one. That will be difficult enough."
And for himself? "I already have one," said Hrubesch before the match on Friday (3 pm/ZDF, Eurosport and in the ntv.de live ticker) in Lyon. In 2016 in Rio, he won silver with the German men - after losing the final to Brazil on penalties. "We'll dedicate the game to him. We want a medal," said striker Klara Bühl.
Popp and Schüller in - new dropout
Hrubesch can bring back captain Alexandra Popp (infection) and central striker Lea Schüller (patellar tendon inflammation) against Spain. Both missed the 0:1 defeat in extra time in the semi-final against the USA. "Alex is fit. She will train right away, no problem there," said the head coach before the final training session. "With Lea, we've seen that a couple of days of rest and recovery are enough." Even defender Marina Hegering says she is ready to play. Only midfielder Sydney Lohmann is missing due to an infection.
In fact, Hrubesch is not retiring after the bronze medal match: His contract as youth coordinator at Hamburger SV runs for another year. "That was agreed from the start, that I would do it until the Olympics. The successor is already there, everything is sorted out. It's actually a seamless transition," explained the former header monster.
Christian Wück, who led the men's U17 team to world champions last year, will make his debut as women's head coach on October 25 at London's Wembley Stadium against European champions England. In France, he watched the Olympic games of the Hrubesch team but kept his distance from the team around Popp.
There will still be a conversation with the 51-year-old, his successor and DFB official. Hrubesch can leave with the knowledge that he has brought the women's team back on track after the debacle at the World Cup in Australia.
Success in crisis management?
Hrubesch's tenure after the illness of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was initially crisis management, then a rush through the Nations League with the Olympic ticket on the last push and the successful qualifying round for the EM 2025 in Switzerland. He complained, "I've never been able to try anything out."
Hrubesch has brought back mentality and resilience to the national team with his mix of fatherly nature, experience, calmness and clear guidelines. "We've played a really good tournament so far, a successful one," said DFB sports director Nia Künzer after the semi-final defeat to the USA in extra time.
Bronze would now be something to show off, to further advance the selection and the sport. "We already have a quite good situation in women's football in terms of visibility. But a medal would certainly give a boost," said former world champion Künzer. The competition has become stronger, "I just wish that we can secure our place among the top nations again."
Hrubesch wants to be a fan at the 2025 Euros
Therefore, the conclusion is that Wiegmann must quickly ensure further development - not just in terms of play. The final weakness is chronic, athleticism can be improved, and personnel alternatives are also lacking, especially if veterans like Popp or Marina Hegering were to retire.**
Hrubesch will observe all this from afar in the future. "The girls deserve to play in full stadiums. They sell themselves well in one way, they live it in another way. That always fascinates me," explained the 1980 European champion.**
His second term as interim coach - he had already stepped in in 2018 after the separation from Steffi Jones and led the German national team to the 2019 World Cup - was "huge fun". "I'm glad I could do it again. I just want to say thank you for how they took me, how they welcomed me, and how they treated me."**
At the Euros, the passionate angler will be the biggest fan of the footballers, together with his wife Angelika. "Next summer, we're going to Switzerland to watch the Euros. The camper will be ready - and we'll also visit Italy, Slovenia, Austria," Hrubesch told "Sport Bild".**
The DFB women's team, under Horst Hrubesch's leadership, is aiming for a bronze medal in their match against the Spanish world champions, which would be a significant achievement for both the team and Hrubesch himself. Striker Klara Bühl expressed their determination to secure a medal for their departing coach.
Despite his contract as youth coordinator at Hamburger SV running for another year, Horst Hrubesch indicated that he will watch the 2025 Euros as a fan, expressing his admiration for the team's ability to sell themselves on and off the field.
