Dark atmosphere: national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (left) and Panagiotis Chatzialexiou, sporting director of the national teams, at their last public appearance at the World Cup. Image: dpa
The next early failure of a German football team at a World Cup is followed by the usual reflex: there is criticism and reproaches. It’s not just about the setup.
Suddenly things had to be done quickly. Some members of the delegation of the German Football Association (DFB) had not yet left the room when the dismantling work on the stage began, promotional items from the sponsors were collected and posters with photos of the players were put up. During the past three weeks, the association had regularly taken a position on the state of affairs at this world championship at around noon on the grounds of the racecourse in Wyong.
Alternately, the good atmosphere in the team and the need to learn quickly from mishaps were emphasized, or the special features of Australian sightseeing opportunities that made it possible to pet kangaroos or koalas. On Saturday, national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and Joti Chatzialexiou, sporting director of the national teams, made one final appearance in the white tent on the edge of the “Race Club”. Both are under pressure due to the unexpected elimination in the preliminary round. Their urge to justify themselves was correspondingly strong.