The countdown is running. Ten days before the World Cup opening game against Japan, national coach Hansi Flick is gathering his players for the finals in Qatar in Frankfurt today.
After the last Bundesliga games, the national football players trundle into the team hotel in the immediate vicinity of the airport during the course of the day. However, some players are not expected until late in the evening. Flick had called up 26 professionals around captain Manuel Neuer, World Cup veteran Thomas Müller and Mario Götze, who was nominated again after a five-year break, for the finals in Qatar on Thursday.
Sunday is all about the arrival of all the players. Frankfurt’s Götze and Kevin Trapp are still playing at Mainz 05 in the afternoon (3.30 p.m. / DAZN). The Freiburg duo Matthias Ginter and Christian Günter have to play Union Berlin two hours later in the last Bundesliga game of the year. All other 22 German World Cup players had to play their last club game by Saturday at the latest.
According to the current planning status, training will not take place on Monday either. The last sponsor appointments are to be taken care of in the hotel. Then it goes with a special plane to Oman, where the last World Cup test against the local hosts is scheduled for Wednesday (6:00 p.m. CET/RTL).
Flick: Assume temperatures and times of day
“The alternative would have been to stay in Germany. But we know that the weather doesn’t always play along. That’s why it’s good to be there beforehand and accept the temperatures, the times of day, that was important to us and it’s good that we can play the game against Oman on site,” said Flick, looking back at the first days of the World Cup mission.
The national coach has already announced that he intends to use players against Oman who have recently lost their game rhythm due to injuries in order to bring them up to the necessary World Cup level. Candidates would be Bayern Munich’s Müller or defense chief Antonio Rüdiger, who recently had to pause at Real Madrid due to hip problems – provided fitness is of course provided.
The World Cup quarter Zulal Wellness Resort a good hour’s drive north of Doha will be occupied on Thursday. In Group E, Germany will meet Japan (November 23), Spain (November 27) and Costa Rica (December 1). “We have a lot of guys who are really in a good mood. And we want to take over that seamlessly and create this special atmosphere in order to get very far,” said Ilkay Gündogan from English champions Manchester City on Saturday at BR24.
