Almost all observers agree: DFB, Reinhard Grindel probably needs this Thursday the award of UEFA for Germany to host the EURO 2024, to be able to be at his Post.
The fate of Reinhard Grindel decides this Thursday as the head of the German football Association (DFB)? So much should be clear: if you can’t get to Germany, but Turkey at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon the bid for the European football championship in 2024, is expected to Grindel only going to be difficult as DFB President. After all, he had propped himself after his election in April 2016 as the successor to the because of the affair to the world Cup in 2006, who resigned from the Wolfgang Niersbach far out of the window. The EM-candidacy, Grindel at the time, was “the great lighthouse project of the German DFB”, “‘ll put the football in Germany, in a dynamics”. And in order for the application to the EURO 2024 was also a matter for the boss, Grindels thing.
Hopes not fulfilled
From the large support of the world’s largest sports-individual Association for Grindel – the DFB-Bundestag no longer chose him the first time to 250:4 votes – is a lot left, even if he himself sees that apparently different. “I have great restraint,” said Grindelwald in August. Was started by the former CDU member of the Bundestag in front of almost two and a half years as the great hope: The politics of hoped that one of their would look at the world Cup affair in a comprehensive and serious. The representatives of the Amateur hoped football, Grindel would strengthen its Position in the DFB compared with the professional clubs. Both expectations, the 57-Year-old was not fulfilled so far. And so the reservations were catching up with him, had expressed some prior to his election: Grindel had “no smell,” he said then. He was a football”layman” and a “world champion”.
Bad Crisis Management
Also in the affair of the images of national team players Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the world Cup, Grindelwald was not a good figure. There have been numerous demands for his resignation, including from politicians in Berlin. A clear line Grindels was in the work-up of the affair. First he came as a critic (“The work of integration of the DFB have not helped our two players with this action.”), then he was again gracious (“people can make mistakes, and we must maintain the level.”).
Crisis meeting in may, Löw (l.), Özil (2.v.l.), Gündogan (2.v.r.) and DFB-team Manager Bierhoff (R)
Özil’s Football Shirt Attack
After the world Cup humiliation of the national team in Russia Grindel Özil put under pressure. The Fans, the DFB-in-chief at the time, the expected “right” answer özil’s football shirt to the questions to his appointment with Erdogan. Özil provided an answer that is not likely to have fallen Grindel. He resigned from the national team, but also complained about the “poor treatment of the DFB,” in particular by Grindel: “While I was trying Grindel my heritage, to explain my background and thus my reasons for the photo, was this interested in, rather, to talk about his own political views and my opinion.”
Not exactly diplomatic
During the application period to the EURO 2024 Grindel was apparently also under the influence of rich football-not officials, just friends. According to research by the news magazine “der Spiegel” asked Grindel President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, in a letter to neutrality, after he had met with the Turkish President Erdogan. Infantino, the “mirror”, have expressed surprised and disappointed “by the tone and content” of the Grindels letter. In the case of the UEFA blackened Grindel the Dutch EM-choice man, Michael van Praag, and because of this have praised the EM application to the Turkey. Half wild, said the DFB to the two operations. The thing with Infantino have clarified Grindel in a personal conversation, and also between Grindel and van Praag, there was “no disagreement”. However – that of the DFB is forced, the public image Grindels almost back, speaks volumes for the diplomatic skills of the DFB-heads.
Lahm as a potential successor?
Grindel with the EM-Ambassador Lahm (R.)
Must Grindel really go, if he loses the fight to EM? DFB General Secretary of the Friedrich Curtius referred to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that Grindel was elected to the Bundestag in September 2019. But, Curtius continues, “unfortunately, it is normal that in case of a failure re-structure and personnel discussions are not conducted, even if this is maybe not always fair.” May Grindel would drag the ripcord, should fail to be a “lighthouse project”. And even if Germany wins the bid for Euro 2024, can’t feel Grindel, given the wide range of his critics for sure. Many of them already see in the EM-Ambassador Philipp Lahm a potential successor for the current DFB President, the supporters go out.