Authorization granted - Return flight from Dortmund possible for DFB team
The German national team apparently avoided a night bus journey to Cologne following the EURO-16 match against Denmark. The DFB received the expected exemption from the Münster district administration for a late departure from Dortmund airport. This was confirmed by the responsible district government of Münster. Initially, it was unclear whether the team, led by national coach Julian Nagelsmann, had to travel by bus from Dortmund stadium to Cologne on Saturday (21.00 hours/ZDF and MagentaTV) as there are no night flight restrictions in Cologne.
On Friday, the DFB team had flown from Nuremberg to the venue. Nagelsmann and his players had taken the team bus to Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt one day before each group match against Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland. After the final whistle, they returned to their home ground in Herzogenaurach. Given the longer distance of approximately 400 kilometers, the decision was made to travel by air. The UEFA had called for particularly ambitious eco-friendly initiatives for the EURO-16.
In case of success, only Dortmund and Berlin by plane
The schedule in the knockout phase is favorable for the German team. In case of success, the quarterfinals (5. July/18.00 hours) and semifinals (9. July/21.00 hours) are again scheduled in Stuttgart and Munich. Bus journeys are then possible once more. However, for the final on 14. July (21.00 hours) in Berlin, a domestic flight will be chosen again.
In the past, there have been criticisms regarding the travel habits of the national team. In 2020, they flew to a friendly match in Basel from Stuttgart. Since then, the DFB has adapted its travel modalities. The caravan often travels by train. For flights, charter planes were replaced with scheduled flights.
Schedule of the German National Team (DFB) EM-Squad
- The German national team skipped a night bus trip to Cologne after their EURO-16 match against Denmark, thanks to an authorization granted by the Münster district administration for a late departure from Dortmund airport.
- The DFB team, led by coach Julian Nagelsmann, rarely uses bus trips for long-distance travel, as shown by their journeys to Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt before group matches.
- For the EURO-16, the German team opted to fly from Nuremberg to their matches to save time, with a bus trip from the stadium to Munich being the exception.
- The final destination for the German team in case of success is Berlin, where they will choose to travel by plane for the final match on July 14 at 21:00 hours (ZDF and MagentaTV).
- The team's schedule for the knockout phase is more favorable, with the quarterfinals and semifinals scheduled in Stuttgart and Munich, possibly allowing for bus journeys.
- Past criticisms of the German team's travel habits include a 2020 friendly match, where they flew from Stuttgart to Basel, but the DFB has since modified its travel policies by adding train travel and replacing charter planes with scheduled flights.
- In the past, the DFB squad has faced criticism for their travel habits, leading to changes in their transportation methods, such as more train travel and the use of scheduled flights over charter planes.
- After their victory, the German team will have a bus trip from Cologne to Stuttgart or Munich, depending on their performance in the knockout stages, due to the closeness of these cities.
- The team's journey to their match against Denmark in EURO-16 started with a flight from Nuremberg, demonstrating their commitment to eco-friendly initiatives called for by UEFA.
- Without the need for a bus trip, the German team can focus on preparing for their matches, as seen in their past travels to Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt leading up to their group stage matches.
- The DFB team's transportation plans for their EURO-16 matches and any following matches in the knockout phase consider the most eco-friendly options available, such as trains and scheduled flights, and use bus trips only when necessary.
