National coach Joachim Löw is hoping for a timely start of the ailing midfield trio Leon Goretzka, Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gündogan in preparation for the European Football Championship. "Of course there are three important players in our team, three key players, so I would consider myself lucky if all three went well," said the 61-year-old at the training camp in Seefeld on Saturday. "Of course, I hope that everyone will start team training in time to be able to play against France." The DFB selection will meet world champions France at their European Championship start on June 15 in Munich.
The national coach is looking for the "best possible solution" for the four England professionals who are to join the German national soccer team after the Champions League final.
Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City), Antonio Rüdiger, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner (Chelsea FC) are threatened with a 14-day quarantine when entering Germany, as they were recently in the coronavirus variant area of Great Britain.
Special regulation for Austria
For Austria, the responsible Ministry of Health has confirmed a special regulation that enables the four players to travel directly to the training camp in Seefeld without quarantine measures.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed on Saturday in response to a dpa request, the strict entry regulations “also apply to professional football”.
Oliver Bierhoff is working “hard” on the problem, reported Löw on Saturday in Seefeld, where currently 20 of the 26 appointed EM players are preparing for the pan-European tournament from June 11th.
The DFB director is constantly in contact with authorities, ministries and politics, added the national coach.
The BMI confirmed the exchange with the DFB.
Missing from the dress rehearsal?
Originally, the England quartet was supposed to get a few days off after the final in Porto and then arrive in Austria.
However, if the four players were to return to England again, they could also be absent from the EM dress rehearsal on June 7th in Düsseldorf against Latvia.
When looking for a solution to deal with four England legionnaires in the German national team, Karl Lauterbach pleaded for an exception to the Corona entry regulation. “I would have a PCR test done on the four players every day, which would then be sequenced, ie examined for the Indian variant. This guarantees the highest level of safety and safeguards the national interest in letting the footballers train, ”said the SPD health expert of the ARD sports show. This is a “clean solution”, which would represent an exception for footballers, but “anything but mess” and would certainly also be accepted by the general public.
Goretzka from FC Bayern should join the national team on Tuesday after his hamstring tore if everything went normally.
“And then you will see day after day what strain he can take.
He definitely needs a few more individual units before he starts team training, ”said Löw.
Kroos in quarantine
At Kroos, however, the schedule is still uncertain due to an infection with the corona virus.
"Yesterday it was still positive, as long as it is still positive, it must remain in quarantine," said Löw.
“As soon as the test turns out negative one day, he will travel to us.
He already had mild symptoms, but it was the last week. "
Gündogan had to end the final training on Friday evening before the Champions League final with Manchester City against Chelsea.
A diagnosis of a possible injury or information about the club were initially not available.
"At the moment, I don't know whether he will play tonight," said Löw.
On Friday evening, the DFB team completed their first team training with 19 players in the training camp in Seefeld.
On June 2, the German team will play the first of two test matches before the start of the tournament against EM participants Denmark in Innsbruck.
Löw is taking a break
It is clear to me that Löw will not take over a club after the European Football Championship summer.
There will be no change of opinion, ”said Löw.
He was recently associated with the top Spanish clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Löw had always emphasized that he would allow himself a break after the tournament (June 11th to July 11th).
“I'll stick with it,” said Löw, who is giving up his position as national coach after 15 years.
"We owe him a lot and want to give him a golden goodbye," said captain Manuel Neuer.
"Good relationship"
Neuer is already looking forward to the time under the next national coach, Hansi Flick, in the German national soccer team.
"Everyone knows that I have a very good relationship with Hansi Flick," said the keeper.
“I think it's a good decision from those in charge at the DFB and that you can look forward to a good coach.” He doesn't think about the end of his international career.
"For me personally, it is the case that I always have fun and enjoy playing for the national team, that it makes me proud and that I will still be happy to wear the jersey in the future when I am fine," said Bayern goalkeeper Munich.
He feels very fit and productive.
"I have no plans to end my national team career."
Neuer currently has 98 international matches and could make 100 full in the friendly matches before the EM. This number makes him "very proud". "As a goalkeeper in particular, it is not that easy to play so many international matches," said the 2014 world champion. "I've been looking at it a bit in recent years." This is something "very, very special".