The German women’s footballers are still unsure who will coach them after Horst Hrubesch. In the opinion of one former player, the association is acting too slowly.

Former international Tabea Kemme has accused the German Football Association (DFB) of lacking courage and foresight in the search for a new coach for the women’s national team. “The DFB is moving slowly – and in my opinion has already overslept in looking around the international coaching market,” wrote the Rio Olympic champion in a column for the news portal “t-online” at Christmas.

“It would be important for the DFB to show the courage to get involved with someone who brings a new, fresh perspective from abroad. The future stands or falls on that,” said the 32-year-old. Horst Hrubesch is currently in office as Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s interim successor; the 72-year-old is to lead the team to the Olympics in Paris.

Unfortunately, the past has shown that the association “always falls back on the same old candidates. I have the feeling that the DFB doesn’t think outside the box enough,” said Kemme.

England’s Emma Hayes, Jonatan Giráldez from FC Barcelona and Joe Montemurro, currently under contract at Juventus Turin, are highly exciting candidates, but some of them are no longer available. “These are all top players from abroad, at the DFB I always see the same people who have also gone through their own system,” criticized 32-year-old Kemme.

The new Director of Women’s Football, Nia Künzer, is someone who “has the necessary leadership skills. With her, this enormously important position in women’s soccer finally has a face,” explained Kemme. It is “to be hoped that she will also receive the support she needs to tackle the tough challenges she will have to face”.

However, Künzer can expect a lot of headwind from the association. “It’s clear that the male leaders at the DFB continue to sketch outdated images and are less open to a woman in a high-ranking position,” said Kemme.