In preparation for the European Football Championship, the German national team will be holding a training camp in Blankenhain from May 26 to 31. But not all of the professionals will be there. You can read here where and how Thuringian football fans can meet their stars and what else is known about the DFB team’s stay.
Why is the national team coming to Thuringia?
As the host country’s team, the German national team will take part in the 2024 European Football Championship. The tournament begins on June 14 and ends with the final match on July 14. The team of national coach Julian Nagelsmann is preparing for the tournament in Thuringia and is completing a five-day training camp there.
The DFB team deliberately chose Thuringia as the location because there is no venue in the state during the European Championship. “It was important to us that we bring the national players to Thuringia because otherwise the fans in the state would have missed out,” DFB press spokeswoman Franziska Wülle told MDR THÜRINGEN.
When and where is the national team in Thuringia?
The national team’s training camp in Blankenhain in Weimarer Land will take place from May 26 to 31. The Thuringian hotel complex Spa and Golf Resort Weimarer Land will accommodate the national players.
Blankenhain in football fever
Are there any test matches during the training camp?
There will be no public test matches in Thuringia. The training sessions are also not public – with one exception.
The German national team will be playing at the Spa and Golf Resort Weimarer Land in Blankenhain, which also includes this training ground, from May 26 to 31. Image rights: IMAGO / DFB Poolfoto
The DFB team will play two more friendly matches before the European Championship: on June 3 against Ukraine in Nuremberg and on June 7 against Greece in Mönchengladbach.
Since there is no European Championship venue in Thuringia, Thuringian football fans are left with only public viewing.
When and where can you see the team?
On May 27th, a public training session will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Jena at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld. The DFB has issued around 15,000 tickets for this. The training session is already sold out. A large autograph session is also planned here.
Further public events are planned in the region around Blankenhain. “The national players have come up with a few activities for this,” said DFB spokeswoman Wülle. However, these are planned as surprises and will not be announced in advance.
A public training session will take place in the Jena stadium on May 27. Image rights: IMAGO / Matthias Koch
Which players are taking part in Thuringia?
The national team will not be complete at the Thuringian training camp. On Sunday, May 26, 19 players will arrive with their families. The families will accompany the training camp until Wednesday.
The players Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund as well as Antonio Rüdiger and Toni Kroos from Real Madrid will definitely be missing. These players will still play for their club in the Champions League final on June 1st.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will also not be able to travel to Blankenhain on Sunday. The 38-year-old had to cancel due to a gastrointestinal infection. He is expected to join the team as soon as possible. He will therefore also not be on the pitch at the public training session in Jena.
Midfield star Toni Kroos will play for Real Madrid in the Champions League final on June 1. He will therefore be absent from the training camp in Blankenhain. Image rights: IMAGO / AFLOSPORT
The players Jonathan Tah, Robert Andrich and Florian Wirtz from German champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen will only arrive later this week. They won the DFB Cup in Berlin on May 25. “Because they might want to celebrate a bit after the final, the German champions will only join the squad after the public training in Jena,” said Wülle, and he was right.
FC Barcelona players Ilkay Gündogan and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen will also arrive late.
Florian Wirtz and the other players from German champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen will only join the squad later this week. They will play in the DFB Cup final on May 25. Image rights: picture alliance/dpa | Christian Charisius
In addition to the European Championship squad, the U21 national players Brajan Gruda (1.FSV Mainz 05) and Rocco Reitz (Borussia Mönchengladbach) will also take part in the training camp in Blankenhain. Coach Julian Nagelsmann announced this at a press conference on May 23. The two talents will therefore also be there in Jena.
You can find an overview of the 27-strong squad here. In total, the DFB squad will consist of around 60 people.
How is the hotel secured?
During the national team’s stay, the access road to the hotel will not be open to the public. The access road will also only be accessible to residents. The grounds will be under police protection during the national team’s stay. In addition, the DFB will travel with its own security service.
Where else are there closures?
The parking lot is closed to guests of the Südbad. According to the Jenaer Bäder, it cannot be used all day on Monday. The Südbad and the beach bar are open as usual.
More about the DFB team in Thuringia
This topic in the program:MDR TELEVISION | Thuringia Journal | May 26, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
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2024-05-26 23:21:55
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