The German national team’s trip to the USA continues to draw criticism. Ex-professional Matthäus is critical of the trip, especially in view of the home European Championship.

Former soccer world champion and record-breaking national player Lothar Matthäus considers the German national team’s trip to the USA eight months before the home European Championship “unfortunate.” The 62-year-old criticized above all the long distance between the venues and Germany. “If I have a European Championship in Germany next year, I’ll be playing in German stadiums after all, not on the other side of the world,” Matthäus wrote in his column for TV channel Sky on Monday.

The former Bundesliga pro wrote that tests against European opponents would have been the better option from his point of view. “As the person in charge, I would have had the last international matches before the European Championship played in the German European Championship stadiums to create atmosphere on site and to unite the fans and the team right now.” The fact that the match against Austria in November will also be played away from home is therefore “unfortunate”. Another test is planned in November in Berlin against Turkey.

Matthäus also sees the travel stress and the short time span between the second test match against Mexico and the next Bundesliga matchday as a problem. “Whoever planned this trip and these appointments did the players and the Bundesliga clubs no favors,” he wrote. The time for regeneration is “simply too short. I hope the DFB learns from these mistakes.”

The national team with new national coach Julian Nagelsmann left for the U.S. on Monday, where test matches against the U.S. and Mexico are scheduled. Numerous Bundesliga representatives had also voiced criticism of the tour, which lasted a good week and a half.