DFB President Bernd Neuendorf wants to “take stock of the year 2022”. With this rather innocuous-sounding sentence, the German Football Association invites you to a press conference with the head of the association.
In view of the current situation after the World Cup failure of the national soccer team and the separation from director Oliver Bierhoff, the appointment at the DFB campus in Frankfurt on Tuesday (12:00 p.m.) has a trend-setting significance. These are the first public words from the DFB President after returning from Qatar eleven days ago, which was much too early. A strategy for the home EM 2024 is needed.
Why is Neuendorf only speaking now?
A silent president. This impression could arise in the past week. Separation from long-term manager Oliver Bierhoff, loyalty bonus for national coach Hansi Flick. And from Neuendorf there were only written comments in press releases. The DFB boss left the stage to his association vice and DFB supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke, which he also used tolerably for his own interests.
The President’s break in broadcasting apparently had a system. “I’m a big fan of clear procedures, we’ve initiated that,” said the 61-year-old when he appeared at Doha Airport, shortly before returning home.
Neuendorf has only been in office since March, at the World Cup he was presented by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino in the affair of the One Love captain’s armband, much to the chagrin of the DFB team. The politician now wanted to act with a steady hand during the World Cup clean-up work. In the background he worked on the procedure for a fresh start towards the home EM 2024.
What exactly can be expected from Neuendorf’s appearance?
The issues should be resolved. But not yet the personnel issues. That means: The DFB boss will not present one or even two successors for the various tasks of Bierhoff. Despite the various candidates – serious ones like Fredi Bobic or Per Mertesacker or hardly realistic like 1990 world champion Jürgen Kohler, who practically applied himself.
“We still have to look ahead and will therefore initiate an orderly process on how to deal with this situation,” was another key statement from Neuendorf in Doha.
The analysis that he demanded from national coach Hansi Flick and also from Bierhoff at the time cannot have existed in depth, but Neuendorf should have laid down his path for a realignment by now. It is unlikely that the DFB boss will go it alone. He could bring expertise into the lurching boat.
There are enough examples from German football crises at the beginning of the millennium with commissions and working groups. Watzke already hinted at that. “If at some point the DFB has the feeling that we have to ask a few experienced people for advice and want to institutionalize it on our own, that is certainly a way of thinking, but Bernd Neuendorf has to decide that with his people,” said the BVB boss. The DFB boss can now give an answer.
