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National coach Martin Voss-Tecklenburg reveals: “Angela Merkel writes to me after every game” | Sports

On the way to the interview, national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (54) does a little race with the two-year-old twins of goalkeeper Almuth Schult (31) in the team hotel.

Then she grabs a coffee and takes almost an hour for BamS.

BILD am SONNTAG: Ms. Voss-Tecklenburg, 9.5 million Germans watched the semi-final against Austria on TV – a record for a women’s European Championship game. Did you expect this euphoria?

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg: “I didn’t ask for a number beforehand, but of course I knew that it was a huge gift that we were now playing in prime time. Word has gotten around about the way we play football. So it’s nice, but I also hope that the whole thing now has a certain sustainability. We have always said that the market is there.”

Four games, four wins, 11-0 goals. Did you think you would storm through the tournament like that?

Voss-Tecklenburg: “You couldn’t expect that, no. We also didn’t know what different factors we were struggling with – whether, for example, injuries or corona cases. We’re super proud that we’re in the semifinals, but at the same time we’re still in the process. This is also shown by the different phases of the game. So far, not everything has been perfect.”

They are as demanding as usual, but seem more relaxed than ever at this tournament. Where does it come from?

Voss-Tecklenburg: “This is real and not played. I also notice that this looseness helps me to stay with myself and not be tense. An example: My players were already dancing in the dressing room before kick-off against Austria. I probably wouldn’t have accepted that earlier and thought that this relaxed attitude wasn’t good for us. I can now assess situations much better – i.e. whether the action is helping or disturbing. But do you know what is crucial here?”

Tell us…

Voss-Tecklenburg: “I know how my players tick. The better I know the person behind the player, the easier it is for me to correctly assess her behavior. For example Laura Freigang. She plays less with us, but is totally relaxed. If I didn’t know her that well, I would tell her: ‘Hold on, we’re going to play a quarter-final here in a moment.’ But I know that her way helps us all. I don’t want to be the stumbling block for my players, I want to be a source of energy.”

How would you describe the relationship with your players? Is that almost a family relationship?

Voss-Tecklenburg: (laughs) “It’s not my children, that would be too much responsibility for me. But seriously, I like them all. These are such fantastic people. There are players I’ve been involved with for 13 years, I’ve even known Linda (Dallmann) and Marina (Hegering) since they were twelve. Of course it does something to me when I see how they develop – not only in football but also in their lives. So there is a very emotional bond between us, without it interfering with the professional collaboration.”

Before the European Championship, however, there were also dissonances between the coaching staff and the team. Among other things, it was about the training workload.

Voss-Tecklenburg: “It is important that we include the players in our planning and decisions and that there is a change of perspective. In the coaching team, it helped us that many players have completed a coaching course with the B license. You’ve noticed what’s behind all the coaching job. At the same time, we also trust our key players because they know exactly what the team needs. All of that has helped us to be able to show these performances at the moment.”

You locked yourself in with your coaching staff for four days in January and pressed ahead with the EM plans. How did that work?

Voss-Tecklenburg: “We had rented a location in the Black Forest. There was a communal kitchen, and we cooked together in the evenings. We held competitions. For example archery, throwing arrows or pushing beer mugs. There was also a snowball fight. There were workshops during the day. It was about tactical elements or training priorities. We also talked about coaching words so we could speak with one language.”

What influence does your husband Hermann have on your decisions? They once coached SV Straelen together. And he has a lot of managerial experience as a contractor…

Voss-Tecklenburg: “We talk at home, thank God, not just about football. He tells how he approaches certain things with his managers, and I tell what I experience in our team. He has a view from above, which of course helps me because he doesn’t have the same emotional focus on my issues as I do. But Hermann also benefits from it and asks me if he has a sensitive issue how I would solve it.”

Her husband comes to England from their shared home in Straelen in North Rhine-Westphalia for every European Championship game. How much power does that give you?

Voss-Tecklenburg: “I’m really happy that Hermann takes it upon himself to fly to every game and back the next day. After reaching the semi-finals, he said to me: “I usually only have sweaty hands when SV Straelen plays, but I had them this time too.” There is no better compliment than that.”

Is it true that even ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel (68) congratulated you after your first win against Denmark?

Voss-Tecklenburg: “She actually texts me after every game. Ms. Merkel also sent me a message on Friday morning after qualifying for the semi-finals.”

May we ask what was in it?

Voss-Tecklenburg (grabs her mobile phone and reads): “She congratulated us on reaching the semi-finals, sent her best wishes to everyone and wishes us all the best for the future!”

Where does your connection to her come from?

Voss-Tecklenburg: “I had the privilege of being personally invited by Ms. Merkel after the 2019 World Cup in September. We sat together in her office for over an hour over coffee and tea. We talked not only about football, but also about political issues. After that we always wrote to each other. Even in the most difficult times and greatest crises, something always came back from her. This contact has remained intact to this day.”

This article comes from BILD am SONNTAG. The ePaper of the entire issue is available here.

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