For Tommy Stroot, as coach of the German women’s champions VfL Wolfsburg, it is “inconceivable” that the World Cup games in Australia and New Zealand would not be broadcast on German television. The 34-year-old emphasized this in the NDR sports club.
“Therefore, I firmly believe that a transfer will and must take place,” Stroot said. “Women’s football is completely hyped in all areas. It would really be a complete blackout if the World Cup wasn’t broadcast.”
At this point, it’s still unclear who will be televising the tournament from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand. In view of the stalled negotiations, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had warned that the games could not be shown on TV in Germany either. But it is a “moral obligation” not to undersell the women’s World Cup.
Stroot demands agreement
For Stroot, this is an “absolute must. There has to be an agreement. FIFA is definitely interested in it being broadcast and that we see the games too.” Wolfsburg provides a large part of the national players in the German team.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) also recently emphasized that she was relying on the public TV broadcasters in the debate about the allocation of TV rights. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf warned that a blackout should not come. ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky recently said in an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” in mid-April that ARD and ZDF had “placed a market-oriented offer within the framework of this tender”.
