For the first time since the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, something like calm has returned to German footballers. In the coming days, supposedly simpler tasks are on the agenda for national coach Horst Hrubesch’s team. In the last two games in the Nations League against France and the Netherlands, the players were under enormous pressure, but withstood it by qualifying for the Olympics.
Now the no less important qualification for the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland is coming up. First it’s against Austria in Linz on Friday (8.30 p.m./ARD), followed four days later by the duel with Iceland in Aachen. The DFB team already played against the Icelanders in the last Nations League season and won twice. Germany played its last competitive game against Austria at the 2022 European Championships in England. Back then, the German team won 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The third opponent is Poland, which, like Austria, has several players from the Bundesliga in its ranks. “We expect an aggressive team that will be very compact. But I see us individually as the better team,” said Sjoeke Nüsken about the Austrians. “If we put what we can on the pitch, then we will win the game. I’m looking forward to seeing the players from the Bundesliga again on Friday.”
In contrast to the past few weeks, the pressure on results has at least decreased somewhat, but it is not completely gone. Early qualification for the European Championships and good preparation before the Olympic Games in the summer are too important. In addition, the group opponents should not be underestimated. Austria in particular has a squad full of quality and has been convincing recently, with the exception of the defeats against England and France.
I think this is a group that is interesting but doable.
Horst Hrubeschcoach of the German footballers, about the European Championship qualifying group
Despite all the caution, Hrubesch wants to approach the two games as relaxed as possible. “I think this is a group that is interesting, but that is doable,” said Hrubesch and, referring to the most recent game in the Netherlands, said: “We have to pick up where we last left off. With the way we played football. It won’t happen by itself.”
Chistian Wück could watch against Iceland for the first time
For Hrubesch and the German Football Association (DFB) in the coming weeks it will be about rejuvenating the squad while at the same time presenting themselves well in the European Championship qualification and at the Olympics in August. When it comes to this balancing act, it is important not to lose sight of the long-term goals. And that with Hrubesch, who will no longer be the coach of this team after the Olympics.
His successor Christian Wück could sit in the stands for the first time at the home game against Iceland. The coach of the male U17 world and European champions said in BR’s “Blickpunkt Sport” on Sunday evening that he doesn’t yet know any national players personally: “But of course I’m already fully involved in screening and scouting.” It is currently unclear whether it will have an influence.
Until Wück takes over, Hrubesch will be the decision-maker in this important transition period. On the one hand, qualifying for the European Championships comes in handy because competitive games provide the best possible preparation for a tournament. On the other hand, they leave little opportunity to give young players playing time to further develop at a high international level.
Important players in the upcoming upheaval are Giulia Gwinn and Lena Oberdorf. Hrubesch recently underlined this when he announced that Gwinn (24) would replace the currently injured captain Alexandra Popp and Oberdorf (22) would act as deputy. Gwinn made her fundamental demands for a leadership role clear in an interview with the Bayern club magazine last week: “I want to take responsibility and embody that,” she said. “If you duck away, you don’t achieve anything.”
The German footballers don’t want to duck away against Austria, but instead want to build on the positive experience in the game against the Netherlands.