The DFB has rejected criticism of the short flight of its footballers from Stuttgart to Basel for the national team’s second Nations League game against Switzerland (1-1). A journey by bus was not possible for the players for reasons of regeneration, as sitting for two to three hours would have endangered their fitness and health.
The train as a means of transport was out of the question because of the corona hygiene rules, said press spokesman Jens Grittner after the game on Sunday evening. The players would have had too many contacts outside of the team due to the change required on the route.
The DFB entourage traveled by charter flight on Saturday instead of covering the approximately 260 kilometers more environmentally friendly by road or rail. There was criticism in the social media and from the ZDF reporter in the live report of the Switzerland game.
After the game against Switzerland, Thilo Kehrer said that sitting for longer in the bus or train was not optimal for regeneration. The national team played their first international match in the new Nations League season against Spain (1-1) in Stuttgart on Thursday evening. On Saturday she flew on from there to Basel.
