Spain and Japan are set up as German World Cup group opponents. Then there’s either Costa Rica or New Zealand. The DFB team wants to use the coming months not only to prepare for the game.
Hansi Flick left Doha in a hurry. The trip to the spectacular draw show with “Hammer” Lott Spain was only a short trip for the national coach.
Ahead of the controversial World Cup in Qatar in the coming months, the German national team will face some tough challenges – on and off the football field. Shortly before leaving, Flick left no doubt about the game’s goal. “We want to go as far as possible,” said the 57-year-old. The Golden World Cup trophy was already in reach in the group photo of the national coaches.
Spanish game on first arrival
In addition to the former world champions, Japan and the winners of the playoff game between Costa Rica and New Zealand await in the preliminary round. Japan’s game will begin at 2 p.m. German time on 23 November, with the big game against Spain at 8 p.m. reflective kick-off time on the first Sunday of Advent four days later. Similarly the third group game on December 1. A lot will be different in this World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino couldn’t say enough. The Swiss already praised the finals as “the greatest show on earth”. Only this week, however, as human rights organizations again condemned the serious abuses in Qatar, the big show is playing in a dark shadow. This will also happen with DFB selection in the coming months.
FIFA Boss Explains “Greatest Show on Earth”
On the human rights situation in Qatar, Flick said, “It is our job for the next few months to put ourselves in the clear.” The national coach and Oliver Bierhoff announced further talks with the national players, who received visits from human rights organizations last week at the team headquarters near Frankfurt/Main. In Doha, a discussion round has been planned for the summer, Birhoff said. “Not only with human rights organizations, but with people from different walks of life, including those who have worked here to get a very authentic report and a picture of how this country is working.”
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New DFB president Bernd Neuendorff used the draw on Thursday for his stay in Qatar with the FIFA Congress and talks “with human rights organisations, with the embassy and other representatives relevant in these matters”, as he said in an interview. ZDF “Sportstudio” said. The Union could then keep itself “seriously and well”.
Test match in hot preparation phase
The national team will be there shortly before the tournament. The suspension period will begin on November 14, immediately after the 15th Bundesliga match. Nine days later, the game against Japan begins. The DFB is planning a test match in the hot preparation phase, as confirmed by DFB director Oliver Bierhoff. The opponent has not yet been determined, but must come from the field of the World Cup participants. “We developed an if-then strategy. Now let’s see how we fix it,” Flick said.
In the Nations League, there are still six competitive games to be played during the World Cup year, against European champions Italy, who have not qualified for the World Cup, as well as England and Hungary. Opponents who agree to determine their positions – before the initially toughest World Cup game against co-favorite Spain. When Germany’s record national player Lothar Matthos drew Germany into Spain Group E, it was “awesome”, as Flick called it. In the Round of 16, the opponents of Group F await – Belgium, Canada, Morocco or Croatia. Brazil will be a potential opponent in the quarter-finals.
Spain is not necessarily the first choice
“All teams have evolved, all teams have something special,” Flick said. “We just have to see that we win.” The European Championship finals lost in 2008 and the semi-finals in the 2010 World Cup should also be painful memories for the national coach. At the time, Flick was Joachim Low’s assistant. Flick was not there when the Nations League was 6-0 in November 2020, and Low was replaced in the summer of 2021 following the European Championship.
“Spain isn’t really our dream team, and we’ve had difficulties there at times, whether in 2010, 2012 or in the Nations League,” said Birhoff. “But Hansi will be especially concerned about it. You have to adjust to tough opponents every World Cup.” During the night, the Spanish media oscillated between anticipation and great respect. “Spain was prepared for the monster,” was the headline in the specialist newspaper “AS”. The rival newspaper “Marca” wrote about the “fearful rival”.
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