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So there it was again to be seen in public.

Fritz Keller was sitting in a room at the association headquarters in Frankfurt on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Behind him is a sponsor wall, to the left of him Mirjam Berle, new communications director at the DFB since the beginning of October.

The world's largest sports association had invited to a digital press conference.

The meeting was about a pan-European study on the value of amateur football, its importance - and also volunteer work.

Undoubtedly an important topic.

But there are a few more these days, such as the situation around the German national team and their coach Joachim Löw, to whom the DFB had committed on Monday.

But Fritz Keller did not want to comment in the presence of 40 media representatives who had joined in.

“We're not talking about the national team today.

We're also not talking about the 6-0 win in Seville, although that would be very attractive for one or the other.

Today we want to focus on the heroes and heroines of football, ”said the 63-year-old.

At the beginning of the press conference, Mirjam Berle had already said that there should be no questions about the national team and Löw.

The stage, she pointed out, belongs to the amateurs.

"You have our appreciation and our full appreciation," said Berle.

Virtual press conference at the DFB with Communications Director Berle, President Keller, Uefa Vice President Nilsson and Professor Wicker from Bielefeld University (from right)

Source: Getty Images for DFB / Alex Grimm

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After a summit in Frankfurt on Monday, the DFB announced that it would hold on to Löw despite the 6-0 disaster in Spain.

Löw and Oliver Bierhoff, director of national teams, had spoken to President Keller, Treasurer Stephan Osnabrügge and Vice-Presidents Rainer Koch and Peter Peters in a two-hour conversation.

A 42 line long press release was then sent out, there were no public statements, as in the days before.

Just one day after the defeat in Spain, President Keller had a statement circulated.

This, however, had raised questions, as Joachim Löw's name had not appeared in the press release.

There was talk of a young team that could grow from the severe setback “if this game, in which not only heart and passion were missing, are thoroughly analyzed and the necessary conclusions can be drawn from it.

She has the potential. "

Keller's appeal to politics

The fact that Keller didn't want to say anything about the national team or about Löw's personnel on Wednesday was a bit surprising, as the "Bild" reported, citing circles of the Presidium, that Keller had last asked Löw three times, the one running until the 2022 World Cup End contract with Löw after the EM 2021.

But Keller didn't want to comment.

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In the current partial lockdown, he rather appealed to politicians not to forget about recreational and amateur sports.

"Please let the children and young people back on the pitch as early as possible," said the 63-year-old.

"We know the rules," emphasized Keller in relation to the Corona crisis, when clubs and associations were able to return to games and training in the summer under special hygiene requirements.

Since the beginning of November, only professional sports have been allowed due to the stricter corona rules, while amateur and junior football are prohibited.

In spring, football and other sports were shut down for months due to the pandemic.

"In times of crisis as we are experiencing, football and all of sport must be an elementary part of the solution strategy," said Keller.

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