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Berlin (dpa) - The German Football Association has a special room for these occasions.

Smaller than the adjoining conference room, but with a grandstand instead of large tables.

That suggests a relaxed atmosphere.

But Fritz Keller doesn't seem relaxed.

During his Christmas address, the DFB President sits on a chair in a dark blue suit, his interview partner wears a mask.

Twelve months ago, Keller and national coach Joachim Löw were standing in front of a richly decorated Christmas tree.

The association takes profound problems with it into the new year, also far from the corona crisis, which Keller is discussing very thoughtfully.

“Who would have believed that humanity, which is always so progressive, would be afflicted with such a problem again,” says the 63-year-old in the 45-minute video.

Keller hardly goes into the deep cracks within the DFB.

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"Internal dissonances" between the President and DFB General Secretary Friedrich Curtius are documented.

This is said to have developed into a power struggle between two camps that takes place on many levels.

At the beginning of the month, DFL managing director Christian Seifert spoke of a "very unworthy spectacle of disloyalty" in the course of the discussion about Löw and the externally carried internal information from decisive meetings.

Keller hopes for peace, but has to fight internally.

In his address, he only says in general that the Corona crisis has shown how important it is to live together.

"How important it is to treat each other with respect and how important it is to show consideration for others."

It was a "difficult" year.

The coming months won't get any easier.

In March 2021, the most important positions in the Executive Committee of the European Football Union and in the council of the world association FIFA will be filled at the UEFA Congress in Switzerland.

Peter Peters has been chosen as a candidate for FIFA, Rainer Koch should keep his UEFA seat.

The latest announcements do not suggest that the two vice-presidents are working together unanimously.

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In mid-December, Peters wrote in “Kicker” about “an unbelievable number of indiscretions”.

He sees the "lack of cooperation at the top without any trust" as critical.

The DFB then sent a reprimand signed by six vice-presidents headed by Koch and treasurer Stephan Osnabrügge.

It should be spoken “not about one another in the media, but personally and with one another”.

Keller didn't sign.

In his Christmas video, the DFB President tends to focus on the sporting construction sites and those that have arisen from the Corona crisis.

Despite the mixed appearances of the national team, he hopes for a successful EM year 2021. «I don't want to say that the EM has been written off.

I am very confident that they will continue on the path, ”said Keller, who wants to know that his differences with Löw have been resolved.

"Jogi Löw and the whole team want", assured the DFB President with a view to the final tournament.

For 2021, he wished for “nothing more than that we might eventually get the stadiums full with the new scientific knowledge that is taking off so slowly and that the youth and amateur players meet every other day and kick the ball”.

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However, the DFB has to wait several more months for the move to the new, 150 million euro DFB headquarters, which, according to Keller, will be delayed due to the corona.

"But we will have a new meeting place for football there in 2022," says Keller.

"It's an ambitious project."

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201227-99-823346 / 2

German Football Association

DFB Presidium

Christmas interview Fritz Keller part 1

Christmas interview Fritz Keller part 2

Christmas video with Keller / Löw 2019