From the future of the national coach and captain to the chaotic planning of the return flight – for the German women’s soccer team, a journey full of uncertainty begins after the World Cup disaster.
Even the morning after, Alexandra Popp and Co. were still in the thick of their World Cup nightmare. The failed German footballers were waiting in the hotel lobby of the Marriott Brisbane with blank stares for the bus departure, when the historic disaster from the presentation flickered once again in full length across the screen. The tears had dried, but the pain ran deep as the DFB women embarked on a return journey into the unknown.
“We now need time to reflect on the whole thing,” stressed a visibly battered Popp after a short night. After the DFB women’s completely surprising first-round exit at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, no player could “say overnight, ‘Hey, I’m fine again.'”
Several unanswered questions now accompanied the DFB selection on its way back to base camp in Wyong – and beyond. The future of the national coach is open, the damage to women’s soccer far from foreseeable. In addition, Popp’s plans in the national jersey are not yet known, even the flight home to Germany is causing chaos.
Even the encouraging messages from Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, the consoling speech of the national coach after dinner or the visit of family and friends did not change anything. The 1-1 (1-1) against South Korea left deep scars on Popp, Svenja Huth (“I feel like I’ve fainted”) or Lena Oberdorf (“It’s a bit surreal”).
Voss-Tecklenburg took responsibility for the debacle, but she left her future open for now and also asked for time. She did not want to “say anything rashly.” MVT” also received backing from DFB boss Bernd Neuendorf and association manager Joti Chatzialexiou (“We have to get out of this together”).
They had only recently extended the contract until 2025 and “expressed the confidence in her, which she still also enjoys,” said Neuendorf, who announced an analysis on ZDF after returning to Germany. And yet, just one year after England’s European Championship summer fairy tale, it seems completely open whether Voss-Tecklenburg will still be on the bench of the two-time world champions in September.
That’s when the Nations League and the difficult qualification for the 2024 Olympics in Paris will start – only two European tickets are still up for grabs. The next European Championship will be held in Switzerland in 2025.
With an eye on Voss-Tecklenburg’s future, Popp called for the team to question itself first. They should “first take a look at their own noses, then we can approach other people,” she said, and also expressed the desire for an expert in the association with primary responsibility for sporting matters in women’s soccer – and that “after the one time, the whole thing doesn’t go down the drain again.”
Neuendorf, who actually wanted to travel to the round of 16, pleaded for “not being so pessimistic” about the further development of women’s soccer. Whether captain Popp will continue to accompany the path, however, seems questionable. The face of German women’s soccer wants to digest the disgraceful elimination and then make a decision. Marina Hegering, at 33 the oldest World Cup player in the DFB squad, could also quit.
It is also unclear when and how the players will return to Germany. After arriving in Wyong, the DFB squad is expected to return home from Sydney “one by one”. However, a joint return trip on a plane is not possible due to the short notice. The DFB had apparently firmly planned to reach the round of 16.
The only thing that is clear is that Voss-Tecklenburg and Chatzialexiou plan to provide further information in Australia on Saturday (3:00 a.m. CEST).