“It’s important to show courage”
Kemme criticizes the DFB for a lack of sense of duty
December 26, 2023, 5:18 p.m
The DFB women have big tasks ahead of them, but important decisions have not been made. It is unclear who will coach the team after possible participation in the Olympic Games in the summer. Former national player Tabea Kemme has little understanding for this.
Former national player Tabea Kemme has accused the German Football Association (DFB) of lacking courage and foresight when it comes to finding a new coach for the women’s national team. “The DFB is moving slowly – and in my opinion has already missed the opportunity to look at the international trainer market,” wrote the Rio Olympic champion in a column for the news portal “t-online” at Christmas.
“It would be important that the DFB shows the courage to get involved with someone who brings in a new, fresh perspective from abroad. That’s how the future stands or falls,” said the 32-year-old. Horst Hrubesch is currently in office as the interim successor to Martina Voss-Tecklenburg; the 72-year-old is expected to lead the team to the Olympics in Paris.
Unfortunately, the past has shown that the association “repeatedly falls back on the same old candidates. I have the feeling that the DFB doesn’t think outside the box enough,” said Kemme. The Englishwoman Emma Hayes, Jonatan Giráldez from FC Barcelona and Joe Montemurro, currently under contract with Juventus Turin, are very exciting personnel, but some of them are no longer available. “These are all top people from abroad, I always see the same people at the DFB who have also gone through their own system,” criticized the 32-year-old Kemme.
The new director of women’s football, Nia Künzer, is someone who “has the necessary leadership skills. With her, this extremely important position in women’s football finally has a face,” explained Kemme. She “wishes that she also gets the support to drill the thick boards that she will have to drill.” But Künzer will expect a lot of headwind from the association. “It is clear that the male leaders at the DFB still outline outdated images and are less open to a woman in a high-ranking position,” said Kemme.