“Hopefully we’ll bring back more trophies in the suitcases”

What do you ask Hansi Flick or Marc-André ter Stegen about suitcases? Journalism studies don’t prepare you for something like that, probably not even at journalism schools, which only people who recognize the Peruvian health minister in a photo during the entrance test are allowed to attend.

On Wednesday, however, a handful of journalists faced exactly this dilemma, the DFB presented its partnership with the suitcase manufacturer Rimowa in Frankfurt, and at the end of the appointment there was a half-hour “talk” with the national coach and three national players.

First you could watch the players during training. On the still fairly new DFB campus in Frankfurt, the boys trotted across the field, holding the ball up and finally meeting at a couple of cones, where they were rushed forwards and backwards by command from a coach. Mario Götze didn’t mind misunderstanding the commands from time to time, on the contrary, he laughed, smirked with his partner, handshakes were exchanged, with the Frankfurt skyline looming in the sky in the background.

Watching the merrymaking, it was suddenly possible to understand why so many children around the world dream of becoming professional soccer players: what could be nicer than making money on a spring morning fooling around with a bunch of boys on the pitch and push each other, then go to the sauna and then drive to the hotel in a sports car?

On the other hand, there are also more important professions. Someone has to ask Hansi Flick questions about suitcases, for example. The journalists were already discussing things on the sidelines: “Do you have a question?” – “Well, maybe one.” – “Well, anyway!” The half-hour “talk” could drag on quite a bit later, everyone agrees. Who would be the three national players who would have to answer questions about suitcases alongside Hansi Flick? “Probably the three that train the worst,” joked one editor.

Then the public part of the training was over, followed by a tour of the DFB campus. A very charming guide showed the journalists and visitors to Rimowa, who could be recognized by small handbags in the shape of suitcases, the huge indoor soccer field, a futsal hall, the bureau floor and told the story of an absurdly large neighboring building, which was unmistakably Chinese style, built by the Chinese government for Chinese guests in Europe, but has never been put into operation and is now slowly falling into disrepair.

A quick detour to the press room, envious glances at the colleagues from sports journalism who are hard at work and whose questions were obvious: Who is playing in the friendly game against Peru on Saturday? What are the strengths of the opposing team? And how do you actually pack your suitcase? Oh no, that was our area.