European Football Championship
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What Hertha and Union (and everyone else) can learn from the European Championships
The European Championship is over, long live the European Championship. Because as well as all the joy that the tournament has brought to many people, there are also many sports things that can be saved in everyday life. By Ilja Behnisch
Dear traditionalist, you must be very strong now, because the following is about: Learning. And no, you can’t write “results” directly if it’s supposed to be about the past The European Championship must be incorporated into the everyday football life of Hertha BSC and Union Berlin, for example. Because results seem like something you could do. On the other hand, learning is based on “you have to do it this way!”. So much stronger. And stronger is good. At least in football.
The restriction with Hertha and Union is for convenience only. Because, of course, what is learned can be scaled as desired. That’s why we can look forward to some district league coach surprising his team soon with statements like this: “Just like Spain in the final against England!”
Now Spain has the strongest team win at this European Championship. Or to put it in the words of football scholar and former national player Lukas Podolski: “Best times to win.” It could be debated whether the Spanish also had the best individual players, as their coach Luis de la Fuente found, or whether the English, the French, the Portuguese or even the Germans deserved this certificate. And at the same time it wouldn’t matter at all. Because, and this is learning number one: football is still a team sport and more than “you have to have 11 friends”.
Everyone always knew what they had to do
As well as the surprise teams like Georgia, Austria and Turkey, European Championship winners Spain were so strong not only because of their individual class but also because every player knew what they had to do always. The Spanish team was the result of a year and a half collaboration between the coach and the team. A partnership that started with a 2-0 win in Scotland in March 2023. With an almost identical squad. In a qualifying match for the European Championships, remember you. Not in an insignificant test match.
“If you see the Spaniards through a whole tournament, there is a plan for every phase of the game. Whether the opponent starts high, starts low, whether they start high themselves, then stay low,” said Bo Svensson is now in the Union Berlin training camp and he asked about the idea of playing together.
That’s what Julian Nagelsmann also had in mind for his German team when he started talking about clear role profiles for the team in March this year. This is what many Bundesliga coaches mean when they talk about developments, processes and automations that are still to be found. And that was what made the Union so strong under Urs Fischer and took them to fourth place in the Bundesliga.
A popular idea, continues Bo Svensson, means that players can “play faster” because many players see the same situation in the same way.
Trade Union Learning takes you back in time
The best art now is discovering how complex a shared idea can be at any given time. Germany, for example, which followed a similar playful approach to Spain, is still far behind in development.
Which brings us back to the Berlin of the Union. Ironically, in the season in which they took part in the Champions League for the first time, the club had gone off the rails in every way the previous season. Suddenly the squad didn’t offer many alternatives or even quality at all for each position. In addition, there suddenly seemed to be some ideas within the team about what exactly football should be. Köpenick EM should be learning that there needs to be a common, humble idea of what union football should look like. The good news for all fans: With Bo Svensson, they seem to have hired exactly the right coach for this.
Tactically disciplined, teamwork
City rivals Hertha BSC will most likely be affected by EM’s further learning. The former national coach Rudi Völler said 20 years ago that there were no more small people. Meanwhile, the little ones have also reached this realization. Whether Slovenia, Slovakia or Georgia – they all defended at a high level at this European Championship. Tactical discipline, always teamwork. Hertha BSC’s promotion candidates are expected in the upcoming second division season.
The tight, tactical constraints of defenses in the European Championships could usually only be solved by outstanding individual performances. So perhaps Hertha should, despite a complete squad upgrade thanks to the new additions Cuisance, Demme and Sessa submit a request to the Berlin Senate. Something like the “Reese Ruble”. So that Fabian Reese, THE difference player at Hertha, does not leave the club for the Bundesliga.
Apart from that, it could be said that there were many own goals at the European Championships, especially in the group stage. Although this is probably less learning than insight. You already know.
Broadcast: rbb|24, July 15, 2024, 7:15 pm