Football lawn in Frankfurt
“Catastrophe” – The reasons for the German slip orgy
Status: 28.03.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Germany can hope for a new football summer fairy tale
Germany can hope for a new football summer fairy tale. 80 days before the opening game at the home European Championship, the DFB team, newly formed by national coach Julian Nagelsmann, won the second big test against Oranje 2-1 (1-1) after the 2-0 win in France.
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The victory of the German national team against Holland was accompanied by a number of slip-ups by the players. Jamal Musiala is the worst sufferer. The pitch in the Frankfurt stadium is not suitable for the European Championships. That was apparent.
A hook to the left, a hook to the right – and Jamal Musiala was on his nose again. “Every action felt like I was slipping. The field moved away every time, with every turn,” said the young Bayern star, still amazed after the 2-1 win against the Netherlands.
The lawn in the Frankfurt EM Arena made a perfect visual impression on Tuesday evening. But in the test match between the German national team and the Netherlands he caused a lot of annoyance – and not just for Musiala. National coach Julian Nagelsmann even described the underground as a “catastrophe”. Musiala fell into sarcasm after the orgy of slips, which an average of 10.81 million people watched on television alone. “Luckily I survived,” he said.
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The 21-year-old, who missed a great chance due to the sliding effect in the second half, had no real explanation for the grass in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Bundesliga stadium. “I always put on studs,” said the midfield dribbler, described by Nagelsmann as a “magician”. “I do a lot of rotations, so it has to be a bit stable,” said Musiala. The slip factor is “already dangerous”. Thomas Müller only had two words for it: “amazing”.
Germany will play against Switzerland again in Frankfurt at the European Championships
It seemed that something had to happen at the Frankfurt location before the European Championships, which began on June 14th. Background: The football-playing NFL stars damaged the original hybrid turf during their appearances in November. The natural turf, which was newly laid at short notice, caused annoyance at the Eintracht games. The cheaper alternative quickly became compromised and slippery. “I don’t know if the pitch was ever this bad,” complained the then Wolfsburg coach Niko Kovac, who had been with Eintracht for a long time, after a Bundesliga game in February.
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However, Frankfurt’s makers are determined not to change him before the European Championship. Stadium manager Patrik Meyer told BILD: “Our grass will be great in May and June. He always was.”
But why was the pitch so miserable in the international match? Problem number one according to the BILD report: The DFB insisted that the lawn be watered for 15 minutes before kick-off. Against the advice of the Frankfurt greenkeepers, who knew that the ground was already damp from the rain of the last few days. So the playing field became a slide.
Problem number two: the players’ cleats. It was quickly joked on the German bench that “the Nike boys slide around a lot…” While Musiala and Havertz (both wearing Nike shoes) lost their footing a few times, Wirtz and Toni Kroos (Adidas) had fewer problems standing. But even at halftime, many players apparently didn’t change their cleats.
Musiala’s hopes will not be fulfilled either. He said he didn’t want to play at the European Championships in Frankfurt, apparently not knowing the game plan. The third and final group game against Switzerland takes place there on June 23rd. If the DFB team only finishes third in the group, the subsequent round of 16 could even take place in Frankfurt.
