After the late arrival in Oman, Hansi Flick gave his World Cup players enough time to settle into a new time and climate zone.
Only late Tuesday afternoon local time, when the sun is setting again in Muscat, does the first training session in the brief preparation for the soccer World Cup take place.
The practice session in the football stadium of the Sultan Kabus sports complex is also the final one before the friendly against the Oman selection, which will be played on Wednesday (6 p.m. / RTL) in the largely open arena. For captain Manuel Neuer and colleagues, it’s about adapting quickly to the high temperatures in the Persian Gulf and coping with the time difference of plus three hours to Germany.
Flick: Get used to temperatures and times of day
“It’s good to be there beforehand and to accept the temperatures and the times of day. That was important to us,” Flick had emphasized beforehand. The national team’s second international match against Oman after a 2-0 win at the premiere in February 1998 at the same venue is for the national coach only a limited dress rehearsal for the World Cup emergency a week later against Japan. Flick does not want to call up his programmed World Cup starting eleven, but rather let some fixed workers catch their breath, as he announced.
“Everyone has a lot of games in their legs. It’s important for us to look at the first few days, who might need a little break,” explained the 57-year-old. He would like to get injured or injured players like attacker Thomas Müller, defense chief Antonio Rüdiger or full-back Lukas Klostermann back into play if possible. Mario Götze could celebrate his DFB comeback after five years without an international match. And the newcomers Youssoufa Moukoko and Niclas Füllkrug could make their debuts in the DFB senior team before the World Cup tournament. On Thursday morning the plane continues to nearby Qatar and to the World Cup base there.
Accommodation with private beach
Shortly after midnight, the DFB entourage arrived at the hotel after landing in Muscat on Monday evening and a short journey in two coaches with the inscription “Germany Football Team”. The crescent moon shone over Muscat at a still warm 28 degrees. Flick was the first to walk past a small group of waiting guests. He carried his trolley case up a long flight of stairs and after a short “Servus” disappeared into the luxurious accommodation with a private beach.
