The DFB could significantly deteriorate the situation.

The German Football Association might significantly escalate the situation.

European Championship nominations: Instagram or bakery next door? In today's world, anything can happen. The German Football Association (DFB) has pulled off another marketing move by mixing the national team players with the fans. If someone complains about the staging, they should talk to former coaches Jürgen Klinsmann or Jogi Löw right away.

"Nowadays, a nomination like this is also a marketing event, and it can help achieve the high goals on the field," says the DFB president. Contrary to popular belief, this isn't about the DFB's advent calendar for squad nominations. This statement was said in 2008 by none other than Theo Zwanziger, now only making headlines as a defendant in the "Summer Fairy Tale" trial for tax evasion.

The announcement of the squad for the home European Championship (14 June to 14 July) through social media, TV, and radio has created quite a stir in Germany's football world. In comparison, the staged "summit storm" of the past raises today's PR activities and makes them look more positive.

Fax nominations are long gone, and a DFB letter hasn't fluttered through someone's mailbox in decades. Instead, Fritz Walter - the future honorary captain of the national team - once received a letter from the soccer department when he feared being drafted into the army. The letter not only contained his first international call-up, but also a handwritten note from Sepp Herberger encouraging him to improve his weakness, the header.

DFB seeks attention, wants to prevent leaks

Perhaps the current national team players have received personal messages from Julian Nagelsmann, delivered by social media influencer Chiara (Manuel Neuer) or care influencer Rashid Hamid and grandma Lotti (Jonathan Tah)? It's unclear, but what is clear is that online and media nominations generate attention. The marketing strategy relies on "there's no such thing as bad publicity" and aims to create excitement for the home European Championships. Regardless of whether the reactions are positive or negative, the DFB remains in the spotlight and reaches a large audience.

The national team is turning the tables on the hype around advance reports and taking on self-proclaimed transfer and soccer leak gods, who have now become influencers themselves. There were always articles, speculation, and waves before every big squad announcement. Now, however, the DFB dominates the discussion and anticipates the leaks. However, the average German, not to mention the soccer fan, might react with at least suspicion, if not disgust. The DFB's PR teams have once again achieved a success after the "viral" video for the new jersey and the hype surrounding the anthem "Major Tom". The involvement of the media, fans, and online influencers is not only clever, but also more entertaining than some previous, less entertaining nomination campaigns.

Klinsmann, Löw, and Bierhoff make things even worse

It began with Jürgen Klinsmann's multimedia show at a Berlin car dealership before the 2006 World Cup. Then there was Zwanziger's "marketing event" just before the 2008 European Championship, where the players were staged on the Zugspitze. A "mountain adventure" was filmed, sponsored by Mercedes, and was even shown in cinemas. Just below the summit, there was a skiing zone with Rosi Mittermaier providing just about a soccer atmosphere.

Ahead of the 2014 World Cup nomination, manager Oliver Bierhoff proudly showed off his film from Campo Bahia, where the pitch was already laid. But - oops! - the changing rooms at the training ground weren't ready 31 days before the national team arrived. In 2016, the French ambassador Philippe Étienne didn't present the squad but tried to reassure worried German fans, saying that the Eiffel Tower had been cleaned and the Champs-Élysées swept. No joke. Also not a joke was the announcement of the extension with Löw and Bierhoff just before the world cup squad announcement, which turned out to be a little messy. It was made by fan favorite (or this time, a joke) Reinhard Grindel.

The DFB is now getting close to its supporters. They are closer than they've ever been on top of the Zugspitze. They're trying to engage with everyone, using both new and old media. And people would rather read a surprising source like "Bäckerei Seeger" than a well-known tabloid expert. It's more interesting to watch a short clip featuring Grandma Lotti and a Tiktoker than a flashy, extravagant movie.

In the soccer world, everything that doesn't occur during the 90 minutes on the field is still being staged. It's better this way. The ignorant soccer fan learns that the Seeger bakery in Nagold in the northern Black Forest produces Dinkelsprössle and Erdbeerschnitten Bayrisch Creme. They might even search for details like how Bavarian cream, or crème bavaroise, is related to the state of Bavaria. It's amazing.

The DFB has suffered from too much show and too much entertainment in the past. Events like #zsmmn, #AnEurerSeite, and "When 80 million become a team" are just some examples. If the national team underperforms in the next tournament this summer, the nomination campaigns will also be held accountable. Check out the team film from Qatar.

Does the DFB expect loyalty now that it's feeding media outlets with exclusive information? Is it quid pro quo? Regardless, influencers and social media channels need not adhere to journalistic standards and could instead turn into DFB tools. However, they would probably not address issues within the association or in soccer.

DFB Entertains and Engages

What's all the fuss about? Anyone complaining that these actions distract from the actual preparation for the home European Championship or demanding that the DFB focus on important issues has missed the point of marketing teams. Julian Nagelsmann himself isn't coming up with the next Instagram surprise in strategy meetings. The DFB could just announce all the players in a press release without all the fanfare, but the way things are now fits perfectly with the social media where the European Championship players are introduced.

The DFB wants to amuse. After all, that's what soccer is all about. Some people enjoy this kind of entertainment, while others don't. The PR strategy loosens up the heavy and overburdened nomination process. Even if the association's image via these campaigns doesn't match reality, it's an effort to engage various sections of society.

The DFB won't ever seem completely relaxed, completely cool. It's too much of an association, too much DFB. But it doesn't have to be. There have been much worse "summit assaults" than a heap of crème bavaroise. Shows and events like this can bring people together and create a sense of community, which is always welcomed in soccer.