Again trouble for Germany with FIFA

In addition to the German national coach Hansi Flick, there was no national player at the PK in the international media center in Doha. The reason for the decision is the procedures of the national team on the day before the second World Cup game, a fine is possible.

The final training session for the Spain duel was scheduled by Flick for 7.30 p.m. Qatar time (5.30 p.m./CET) in Al-Shamal, not far from the team hotel and thus a good hour’s drive from the PK location. According to FIFA regulations, teams are required to hold a press conference the day before with the head coach and one player. This rule is set out in Article 44 of the Tournament Rules. It was sent to the teams again in detail in a circular, as FIFA confirmed to dpa on Saturday.

A press conference without a full DFB cast is not a World Cup novelty. In 2010, the then national coach Joachim Löw was absent from the tournament in South Africa in the media round before the World Cup round of 16 against England (4:1). He sent goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke. At that time, the DFB justified this approach by moving the final training session to another stadium at short notice. Löw could not have followed the unit to the end to get to the PK in time. There was no FIFA penalty back then.

In Qatar, the DFB had hoped to hold the final press conference at its media center in Al-Shamal, not far from the team hotel. However, FIFA organizes all final media rounds in Doha and now insisted on the DFB delegation appearing. The media center in the capital is more than 100 kilometers away from the German team headquarters and training ground in the very north of Qatar. In the event of a defeat against Spain on Sunday (20.00 CET/live ORF 1), Germany is threatened with elimination after the preliminary round.