Sport Before the home European Championships
“Radically change personnel” – DFB vice-president attacks national players
As of: 11:27 a.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Ilkay Gündogan and Joshua Kimmich (r.) are heavily criticized by the DFB after the defeats with the national team
Source: picture alliance/PICTURE POINT/Roger Petzsche
As a member of the DFB executive committee, Ralph-Uwe Schaffert is a powerful football official. In an interview he heavily criticized the national team. Two players in particular come off very badly. Schaffert calls for a change of course.
Ralph-Uwe Schaffert, head of the North German Football Association (NFV) and vice president of the German Football Association (DFB), has clearly accused the national players of what he sees as a lack of commitment. In an interview with the “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” and the “Neue Presse”, the 67-year-old said: “It would be time to radically change the playing staff.”
Schaffert explained this as follows: “Because I have the feeling that with a not very small number of players currently active, they think they can get by with perhaps 85 percent of the possible effort on the pitch.” Maybe you no longer only need the highly gifted , but also those “who are ready to roll up their sleeves,” said Schaffert.
Ralph-Uwe Schaffert is DFB Vice President and criticizes the attitude of the national players
Source: dpa/Monika Skolimowska
Among others, he dealt with Joshua Kimmich from FC Bayern Munich, who is always mentioned as a leading player. “So far he has failed to provide evidence. Also in the club,” said Schaffert, who has been a member of the DFB executive board since March 2022. There, the former judge is responsible for social policy tasks and DFB foundations as well as statutory issues.
Clear words to Gündogan
Schaffert cannot understand what, in his opinion, the different performances of national team captain Ilkay Gündogan in the selection and in the club, currently at FC Barcelona, previously at Champions League winners Manchester City. This might give you the idea: “Did he send his less talented twin brother? I don’t understand that,” said Schaffert.
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The national team will meet Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland in the preliminary round of the 2024 European Championship in Germany (June 14th to July 14th). The next international matches are scheduled for next March.
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