Era after Alexandra Popp starts DFB team only have nine months left for herculean task October 1st, 2024, 4:27 p.m. Alexandra Popp is the face of the old DFB – who shows the future? The favorite to become captain of the German national team is Giulia Gwinn. But it is only one aspect of the major upheaval that the new national coach Christian Wück has to master. On Monday, Giulia Gwinn powerfully lifted her full height at the Oktoberfest, but Alexandra Popp’s successor candidate will soon have to get to work wearing the German footballers’ jersey. Because even if Bayern Munich’s favorite full-back quickly takes over the captaincy, not all the construction sites will be closed. The upheaval will be a Herculean task for the new national coach Christian Wück with only nine months until the 2025 European Championship. “Now others will fill this gap and take on leadership roles,” said Horst Hrubesch’s successor after the announced departure of long-time leader Popp. But the transition for the two-time world and eight-time European champions is unlikely to go so smoothly. A new captain, a new coach, a new head of defense – three weeks before Wück’s debut on October 25th at Wembley against European champions England, the focus is on exciting personnel issues. Hrubesch’s predecessor Martina Voss-Tecklenburg sees it similarly. “If many leaders quit at once, there is also a chance that the boys can grow from it. But of course there is also a certain risk that it will now be too much in the concentrated form,” said the ex-national coach on RTL /ntv. Wück, who nominated his first squad on October 15th and started working with the team six days later, is therefore “faced with a difficult task.”Defense is the biggest construction siteAfter winning Olympic bronze almost two months ago, goalkeeper Merle Frohms was already there and defense chief Marina Hegering resigned. But that’s not the only reason why the defense is the biggest concern. Central defender Bibiane Schulze Solano is suffering from a torn cruciate ligament, as is central midfielder and leading player Lena Oberdorf. Kathrin Hendrich and Sara Doorsoun, who are considered obvious solutions in the defense center, are no longer the youngest at 32 years old. Wück has recognized the problems with a view to next year’s European Championships in Switzerland (July 2nd to 27th). “It’s a challenge,” the 51-year-old said recently: “We are of course looking for young, talented defenders to make a new beginning.”It also becomes difficult when looking between the posts. Ann-Katrin Berger was a guarantee for the Olympic medal, but Almuth Schult is aiming to return to the German goal a year after the birth of her third child. Both could fill the role of a leading player, but here too the question of renewal arises – after all, both are 33. Gwinn has great charisma. At least Gwinn is set – if she stays healthy. The 25-year-old left-back, who scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the fight for bronze at the Olympics, has already had to cope with two torn cruciate ligaments in her career. Nevertheless, she is Voss-Tecklenburg’s first choice as Popp’s heiress. “She is certainly someone who has already shown in the last few months that she can definitely take on this office,” said Voss-Tecklenburg about Gwinn, who served under Hrubesch had already become Popp’s representative: “She has matured over her phases of injury. She is a leader.”
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Era after Alexandra Popp starts: DFB team only have nine months to complete herculean task
