DFB women create a coup
Hrubesch announces big Olympic goal
February 29, 2024, 6:39 a.m
The DFB women feel “pure joy” after the 2-0 win in the Netherlands. Eight years after the triumph in Rio, they won their Olympic ticket with a show of strength. But her coach Horst Hrubesch doesn’t want to rest on her laurels.
“Paris, Paris – we’re going to Paris!” That’s what it sounded like from the small German fan curve and later from the DFB women’s dressing room. With a show of strength, the German soccer players around interim national coach Horst Hrubesch got their ticket to the Olympics. After the 2-0 win against the Netherlands in Heerenveen, the 72-year-old immediately announced his goal for the summer games: “I won’t go to Paris to play, I want to get to the final.”
After the goals of the two Bayern attackers Klara Bühl (66th minute) and Lea Schüller (78th), the players can hope for the second German Olympic gold for women after Rio de Janeiro 2016. “I am very, very happy and proud of my team,” said captain Alexandra Popp, who was completely exhausted and hugging her teammates after the final whistle. “We really put in a lot of kilometers. But it was worth it in the end and we deserved to get to the Olympics.”
“Everyone knows what a difficult phase we are coming from,” emphasized Bühl. Six months after the World Cup debacle in Australia with the elimination in the preliminary round, a missed participation in the Olympics – like in Tokyo 2021 – would have been very bitter for the national team and the DFB. “Pure joy, pure emotion,” Bühl described her feelings with shining eyes. “It’s hard to grasp at the moment.”
“That’s great”
“It wasn’t easy,” said Hrubesch after the game for third place in the Nations League in front of 20,500 spectators in Heerenveen on ZDF: “The girls did what we expected of them – they went beyond their limits. They can do it . But you also need courage.”
The experienced coach had instilled this into his protégés, and the victory was ultimately confident. “We are very grateful that Horst helped the DFB in a very difficult situation,” said DFB sports director Nia Künzer: “Not everyone believed that we would get the ticket. That’s great. I’m looking forward to the rest of the journey .” At the same time, Künzer emphasized once again that Hrubesch’s successor is already in the starting blocks. “We said that we are prepared for all scenarios,” explained Künzer: “When the opportunity arises, we will also communicate this.”
Hrubesch has always emphasized that he would like to experience the atmosphere in the Olympic Village again with athletes from all over the world. The HSV idol has been in an Olympic final once so far: in 2016, he coached the men’s U21 team to the final, but lost on penalties to hosts Brazil and Neymar.
Against world champions Spain?
After the group draw on March 20th, the DFB women also know who they will play against in the Olympic tournament spread across several cities. The world champions from Spain as well as France, the USA, Canada, Brazil and Colombia are taking part. After his successful mission to lead the footballers to Paris, Hrubesch immediately announced: “The benchmark will be when you play against Spain.”
This is also why the 2-1 defeat in France in the semi-finals of the Nations League in Lyon last week annoyed him. With a win, the Olympic ticket would have been secured – and his selection would have competed against Spain in the final. “We’re really on the right track. But we just have to be more consistent,” demanded the 72-year-old before the celebration began.