1 week ago
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There is no major tournament this year but the German women's football team is already setting its sights on the next big events starting with the 2027 World Cup.
Qualifying for the tournament in Brazil starts in March, and coach Christian Wück and sporting director Nia Künzer hope for further progress in rebuilding the team, also looking ahead at Euro 2029 which Germany will host.
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Wück started after the 2024 Olympics and has a contract until the end of 2026. That could be renewed before the first qualifier against Slovenia as Künzer has said that "there is no other thought than to continue on this path."
Positive trend in 2025
Wück led the team into the European championship semi-finals and into the Nations League final in 2025, beaten by world champions Spain on both occasions.
"We want to continue along the path we have chosen. The development of our team is our main focus," Wück said.
"The first steps were big and visible to everyone, now it's about the small details that will make us even better. We want to further internalise our playing philosophy and continuously expand our pool of players."
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Wück wants to play for the title in Brazil after Germany's group stage exit at the last World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.
That was a shock a year after reaching the Euro 2022 final but Germany started to make amends with Olympic bronze 2024 in Paris.
New-look team
The team now has a new look under Wück, with key players including veteran goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, defender Janina Minge, midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken, and forwards Klara Bühl and Jule Brand.
The coach has also brought in fresh talent such as Carlotta Wamser and Franziska Kett.
Wück has said that "we can be proud of the team" and that the development is "certainly going in the right direction" but has also said that "we are not top yet on one or two positions which we need to really lift this Cup one day."
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The coach said that high quality games in the Bundesliga are needed to help the development of all players from which the national team will profit.
Euro 2029 on home ground also offers "a huge opportunity - for women's football in Germany, for football in Germany and for the whole country," he said.
Künzer and Nüsken upbeat
Künzer was also upbeat, saying: "We managed to inspire people last year with the way we played football. We're not at the end of the road yet. We can see that when we play against teams like Spain."
Müsken said: "We have found ourselves as a team. You can feel the team spirit, you can feel the joy on the pitch and, above all, off the pitch.
"We have taken a huge step in the right direction and now we have a year until the next tournament."
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