National team - Völler counters criticism from DFB vice-president: The way is not right
DFB vice-president Ralph-Uwe Schaffert has caused quite a stir with his renewed harsh criticism of the German national team players and caused sporting director Rudi Völler great incomprehension. "It would be time to radically change the playing personnel," said the head of the North German Football Association, the Lower Saxony Football Association and Vice President of the German Football Association in an interview with the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" and the "Neue Presse" (Thursday).
Specifically, the 67-year-old accuses many national players of a lack of 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 did not want to let that stand. The DFB sports director and former world champion reacted in the German newspaper "Bild" to the statements made by the high-ranking DFB official, who is not the first time he has made clear criticism of the national team. "Everyone in the DFB has their job. It's great that everyone is interested in the national team, and criticism is perfectly fine after the last few games. But the way to criticize our important players in such an exaggerated manner is not acceptable," said Völler.
Völler also said that he could not imagine that Schaffert really meant it that way and offered: "I would be happy to explain it to him again over a cup of coffee." 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 had already caused a stir earlier 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.
Before the 2-1 opening defeat at the World Cup against Japan, the national team players had demonstratively covered their mouths. They wanted to protest against FIFA's ban on the "One Love" captain's armband. 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 the national team players Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) and Ilkay Gündogan (FC Barcelona) by name. Kimmich had "so far failed to prove" that he was a leading player. "Even at the club."
In the case of national team captain Gündogan, it is the case that "strangely enough, he plays outstandingly well at club level and then plays in such a way in the national team that you could get the idea: Has he now sent his less talented twin brother?" said Schaffert. Basically, the national team needs to consider: "Perhaps we no longer only need the highly talented, but perhaps also those who are prepared to roll up their sleeves."
Regardless of his criticism of the national players, Schaffert also sees a problem with the DFB: as an association, it is no longer able 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 options we considered."
Details on Schaffert at dfb.de
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- Rudi Völler, in response to Ralph-Uwe Schaffert's criticism, expressed his dis agreement regarding the exaggerated manner of criticizing national team players.
- In his interview with the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" and "Neue Presse," Schaffert accused many national team players of having an attitude that allows them to put in only 85% of their effort during matches.
- Schaffert also criticized the behavior of the German national team players during the World Cup in Qatar, specifically mentioning their demonstrative mouth covering as a protest against FIFA's ban on the "One Love" captain's armband.
- In the same interview, Schaffert named Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Gündogan as two national team players who are not meeting their potential.
- Kimmich, according to Schaffert, has yet to prove himself as a leading player, even at the club level.
- Gündogan, on the other hand, seems to perform well at club level but struggles with consistency in the national team, with Schaffert commenting that it's as if he's sending his less talented twin brother to play.
- Schaffert acknowledges that the DFB is having difficulty keeping up with the high salaries in club soccer when it comes to hiring new coaches, stating that the next national coach will not receive the same pay as Hansi Flick did.
- However, Schaffert expresses his approval of the current national coach, Julian Nagelsmann, saying that he has already made a good impression on the DFB board.
Source: www.stern.de
