He does it! Rudi Völler (62) appears again as the savior of German football. According to BILD information, this is the result of today’s meeting of the DFB task force with Hans-Joachim Watzke, Bernd Neuendorf, Oliver Kahn, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Oliver Mintzlaff, Matthias Sammer and Völler himself.
In 2000, after the embarrassing elimination of the preliminary round of the European Championship, he took over as team boss and became vice world champion in 2002. After the embarrassing World Cup preliminary round at the 2022 World Cup, Völler is now stepping in with a clear focus on the national team to make the 2024 European Championship in Germany a success.
The DFB officially announced the decision on Thursday evening. Völler will become “director of the senior men’s national team” on February 1st. He himself says: “After many great years at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, I’m returning to where I was able to experience wonderful times as team manager. I am therefore approaching my new task with the national team with gratitude, passion and great motivation.”
And further: “First of all, we have to lay the foundations for a successful home European Championship in 2024 that is supported by all of Germany. We have the players for it. From these many top players we now want to form a close-knit community again, a strong-willed and likeable national team with the clear goal of winning back the unreserved support of the fans.”
BILD says: You have to tackle this, Rudi!
► More “Rudi Wütterich” instead of “Netter Hansi”!
His ARD anger speech in 2003 (“bullshit”, “shit”) after a meager 0-0 win against Iceland is legendary. This sharpness is needed again in the national team. Also as a counterpoint to national coach Hansi Flick (57), who wanted to please many at the World Cup and acted as “Nice Hansi”. The players blasphemed internally about the replacement of Ilkay Gündogan for Leon Goretzka, which initiated the Japan bankruptcy (1: 2) as a “harmonious change”.
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► More sport, less politics!
Instead of discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a team with a striker, the team discussed before the World Cup opening game against Japan whether captain Manuel Neuer (36) would play with or without a One Love armband. The new sports director has to clarify such political discussions with the president before the tournament.
► More greed!
The question of what new hairstyle a player like Serge Gnabry (27) could wear in the next game seemed more important to the stars than the unconditional will to win. A hairdressing chair was even purchased for the EM 2021. Völler always valued victories more than his hairstyle, so he accepted the nickname “Tante Käthe” because of his curly gray hair.
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► No more feel-good oases!
In Qatar, the internationals seemed more on a holiday trip than on a title-winning mission. Players’ wives held hands in the team quarters. While world champion Argentina moved to a university campus and the players barbecued together, it had to be a posh wellness resort for the German stars in Qatar. As team boss, Völler was the first to relegate to the Barsinghausen sports school.
► Closer to the fans!
The fans still sing “There is only one Rudi Völler”. The current national team can only dream of such expressions of sympathy. Already after the 2018 World Cup preliminary round in Russia, national team director Oliver Bierhoff had admitted the national team’s “smug appearance” in public. The good intentions were quickly thrown overboard at the 2022 World Cup.