Seven weeks after the surprise elimination in the first round of the 2023 World Cup, the German European vice-champions launch their quest for an Olympic ticket to Paris on Friday via the League of Nations, without their coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, absent for medical reason.
To begin the Nations League, the only qualification route for European teams for the 2024 Olympics, Alexandra Popp’s teammates go to Viborg to challenge Denmark, the most formidable opponent on paper in this group which also includes the Iceland and Wales.
To hope to see Paris next summer, the Germans will have to finish at the top of this group to qualify for the Final 4, and then reach the final – or take third place if France is a finalist.
An obstacle course which begins on Friday with a notable absence. While the question focused after the World Cup on the presence of Popp, captain of Germany who decided to continue his career with the selection, it is ultimately the coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg who is absent.
“The World Cup in Australia tested Martina a lot. She came back from Australia sick, she was affected physically and mentally. She recuperates at our house in the garden, in peace, she reads a lot,” explained her companion Hermann Tecklenburg in the German daily Bild before the gathering.
Retained in his functions after the premature exit at the 2023 World Cup, “MVT” leaves the controls for this window to his assistant Britta Carlson and the two matches in Denmark and against Iceland in Bochum four days later.
“We have a duty of care, which is that Martina regains her health. Everything else will follow,” explained Joti Chatzialexiou, sporting director of the German selections at the Federation, during a press conference on Tuesday.
On the sidelines of the Germans’ friendly match against France, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf did not wish to speculate on the future of “MVT” at the head of the selection. “We know that Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is currently ill, out of respect and concern we must not speculate,” he explained to German television ARD.
The Germans approach the Nations League with the burden of the 2023 World Cup. “We would have liked to carry out the analysis, it would have allowed us to put down the World Cup bag,” admitted Chatzialexiou.
For the first time in its history, Germany did not make it past the first round of a World Cup. After having outclassed Morocco (6-0), the Germans lost against Colombia (2-1) and were only able to draw against South Korea (1-1), insufficient to reach the eighth of final.