By Sandra Degenhardt, dpa I Friday, June 2, 2023
MUNICH – Germany Olympic champion Almuth Schult has strongly criticized Bayern Munich for the late release of players for the women’s World Cup and believes it is part of the chaos that has enveloped the whole club this season.
Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg named a 28-strong provisional squad on Wednesday for the July 20-August 20 tournament in Australia and New Zealand. But five Bayern players will only link up with the squad on June 23 instead of June 20 after the champions changed their mind.
“There were obviously agreements made well in advance. When a U-turn comes at short notice, I can only shake my head,” the goalkeeper, who is missing the tournament because of pregnancy, told Sport1.
The 2016 Olympic gold medallist said that the situation “fits in with all the turmoil that Bayern Munich have been experiencing in the men’s sector this season.”
Bayern sacked club chief executive Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic after a roller-coaster season which saw the sacking of men’s coach Julian Nagelsmann but still ended with the Bundesliga title.
The women also won the Bundesliga, with the season finishing last weekend. Schult thinks there is plenty of time for players to rest before June 20.
“It’s stupid that (the men’s chaos) is now spreading to the women as well. It’s a shame that such an issue has to happen before the World Cup. A lot of things have crumbled at Bayern this season, both in the coaching and in the management,” she said.
Voss-Tecklenburg is livid that Lina Magull, Sydney Lohmann, Lea Schüller, Carolin Simon and Klara Bühl will be arriving late and indicated they would not be considered for the warm-up match against Vietnam on June 24 in Offenbach.
She is considering adding some of 10 standby players to the early stages of the camp.
Bayern have defended their decision, saying they wanted to protect players’ health after a long season and with the next Bundesliga campaign starting less than a month after the World Cup.
But 10 Germany players in Wolfsburg’s squad for the Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday will join up on June 20. Schult believes their late arrival could be a disadvantage for the Bayern women.
“As a player, you want to be at the camp from the start. You want to show yourself, you want to play your way into the squad,” she said.
England, who beat Germany in last year’s Euros final, have a similar problem and want to start their camp on June 19.
Coach Sarina Wiegman was asked about Bayern midfielder Georgia Stanway and told PA Media: “I still hope we negotiate. At this point it’s hard but we’re trying to get the conversation going again.”
