Fall. Get up. Crown. Go on – this is the Motto of the German football Association. The Slogan is all well and good, but after this year, totally inappropriate, writes DW’s editor, Sarah Wiertz.
2018 was not a good year for German national coach Jogi Löw (li.) and Team Manager Oliver Bierhoff
“I am pleased to have the Chapter finally hit that it’s finally over”, stated the DFB-team Manager Oliver Bierhoff the year 2018. That year the German national football team is finally around, it can actually just be happy. But you should check it out just like that?
Erdogan scandal, the world Cup From the preliminary rounds, the resignation of Mesut Ozil, Embarrassing world Cup analysis on the press conference, descent from the A-League, the UEFA Nations League: It was on and off the field, the worst year in the DFB-history, and those responsible for their work just as before. It was for Bierhoff and the German national coach, Joachim Löw, a year full of bad decisions – whether on a sporty, communicative, or functional level.
DW-editor, Sarah Wiertz
An error after the next
It was wrong to rely almost primarily on the well-established world champion of four years ago. It was wrong to be stubborn on the ball possession soccer. It was wrong, the subject of Özil and Erdogan downplay. It was wrong, just the Co-Trainer to share and to give yourself a free ticket. It was wrong to wait so long with the much-heralded world Cup-analysis – which was then more than a poor one and came only after the Association had already announced that it will go on Löw. And it was not wrong to take an immediate break.
Everyone makes mistakes, even the leaders in the German national sport par excellence, it should be the. So many in so short a time, and then with self-righteous arrogance to dismiss that is grossly negligent and would have had to draw personnel consequences. Next year everything will be better, promise the two leaders.
It can only be better
Of course it will. It can hardly be worse. Probably Germany is playing a very attractive football, but there are just too many good footballers – and, in the meantime, Loew is also on Süle, Werner Havertz and Sané, instead of Boateng, Hummels, Muller and Petersen.
A beginning seems to be (plenty of late), but whether Löw and Bierhoff and the DFB-Team in the new year really is back to old strength? At least, the tasks to be somewhat simpler than in the year 2018: No world Cup, no Nations League and an easy qualifying group. Only when the leaders and the DFB-Team will deliver here, really, Oliver Bierhoff, slamming the Chapter of 2018 really.