Coach confirms
July 14, 2011
After much speculation and pressure, German coach Silvia Neid has confirmed she will stay on as coach of the women’s national football team.
"I am motivated for the European Championship and I am motivated to build a new team," she told German broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday night. "[In the last few days] I received so much support from my players and from others, and I’ve had good talks with the German Football Association."
It seems the ongoing support from the German Football Association (DFB) was crucial in the quick decision. In an interview with the German tabloid Bild on Tuesday, Neid said she "needed time out" from the game and that she was still to decide whether she could motivate herself for the team's next major tournament.
Shortly before the World Cup began, the 47-year-old signed a contract with the DFB taking her through until 2016.
The blame game
Following Germany's shock exit from the tournament on Sunday, local media had focused much of their attention on Neid. A major issue had been the coach’s decision to bench star striker Birgit Prinz half way through the campaign.
On Monday, Prinz's father, Stefan, told German radio that Neid was not in a position to lead the team, adding "It would be clever if she called it quits now".
Bernd Schröder, coach of leading German women's team Turbine Potsdam, also believed the benching of Prinz was a mistake. "I wouldn't have given up on Prinz so quickly. I would have said, 'Hey girl, you are responsible, you are our captain.' If you take responsibility away from a captain so quickly then you destroy that player."
Official support
DFB President Theo Zwanziger had urged Neid to stay on as coach from day one, saying that "she is the best person to have as our national team coach."
Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel and men's team coach Joachim Löw offered their support privately to Neid after the German team's early exit from the tournament.
Neid, who was voted FIFA Female Coach of the Year in 2010, led the German team to World Cup victory in 2007. The loss against Japan was her first in a major tournament as national team coach.
Author: Andre Leslie
Editor: Martin Kuebler