New start after the 2022 World Cup debacle: Hans-Joachim Watzke calls for "more popular" DFB-Elf

How does the men's national soccer team get closer to the fans again? It's a question the DFB haven't had an answer to since winning the 2014 World Cup.

New start after the 2022 World Cup debacle: Hans-Joachim Watzke calls for "more popular" DFB-Elf

How does the men's national soccer team get closer to the fans again? It's a question the DFB haven't had an answer to since winning the 2014 World Cup. Before the restart after the debacle in Qatar, the mighty BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke demands: "We have to become more popular!"

DFB Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke wants to close the big gap between the national football team and the fans and ensure a better relationship. "We definitely have to let the national team get closer again. We have to become more popular," said Watzke, managing director of Borussia Dortmund and a member of the DFB task force, the "Spiegel".

The late kick-off time for international matches at 8.45 p.m. is "a problem" in order to make the sport attractive for families. "We want to tie the youth in particular to the national team," emphasized Watzke. "A solution must be found in the medium term" with regard to the kick-off times anchored in the contract.

In the effort to make the national team more successful and closer to the people, the new DFB sports director Rudi Völler plays a central role. The 62-year-old is "credible because he himself has worked forever in a club, celebrated victories, experienced defeats and argued with referees and opponents," said Watzke about Völler: "He lives football. Everyone in the world opens the door for him on."

Völler is therefore the ideal complement to national coach Hansi Flick. "It is important that a coach has a counterpart who is not part of his team. A person you trust with whom you can exchange ideas, with whom you can try to optimize things and from whom you know that topics are not made public be," explained Watzke.

Flick, who failed with the team at the World Cup in Qatar in the preliminary round, must be "granted a second chance," said Watzke, after all, Germany was "not terrible": "Hansi deserved the European Championship." Nevertheless, they want to "see a development" in Germany by the final round in summer 2024 in order to win the title there, which Watzke believes is possible "under optimal conditions". For great success, not only players and officials have to focus on the sport, but also the public.

Watzke said he had the "possibly idealistic wish" that the EM would stand for "pure football" and "people could enjoy football for four weeks. At least we in football are happy to discuss all other social issues of our time before and after ."