As director of women’s football at VfL Wolfsburg, Ralf Kellermann criticized the late start of this year’s world championships in Australia and New Zealand. The date from July 20th to August 20th is “suboptimal” for the clubs and also for the German association, said the manager during a video switch of the German champions and Champions League semi-finalists, who have numerous national players such as Alexandra Popp, Lena Oberdorf or Merle Frohms. He also criticized the late shutdown of the world football association FIFA.
“A world championship or a European championship belongs at the end of a season with a three-week break. This late point in time doesn’t help anyone,” said Kellermann on Monday. The Bundesliga ends on the last weekend in May, with the Champions League final still to come on June 3rd. Since the clubs only have to release their national players ten days before the start of the tournament, but the preparation of the German team under national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg already begins on June 20 in Herzogenaurach, they sat down with the German Football Association (DFB) and made a corresponding decision Solution found.
Kellermann also sees difficulties in preparing for the new season, which begins for the top clubs with the second round of the DFB Cup on September 9th. The Bundesliga starts a week later. When the DFB women reached the semifinals in Australia and in view of the long return journey and also the regeneration, the 54-year-old pointed out: “We already know that the national players are with their club for eight or nine days and then it’s all right into the new season.”
In addition, the group phase of the Champions League will not be able to be completed this year due to the late World Cup. The Olympic Games are scheduled for next summer as an international tournament, for which the German team still has to qualify via the Nations League. Kellermann joked to FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the reasons for the late World Cup: “I don’t know how Mr. Infantino planned his vacation.” As a rule, FIFA and the host countries agree on the date.
Information on the women’s Bundesliga Information on the women’s Champions League Information on the women’s DFB Cup Squad VfL Wolfsburg Wolfsburg’s women on Twitter
