2024-05-14 08:40:08
At the home European Championships, Esther Sedlaczek will again moderate alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. She could fulfill a big dream.
In exactly one month, on June 14th, the European Football Championship starts in Germany. ZDF will broadcast the opening game between Germany and Scotland in Munich. A day later, ARD also started reporting, the first showing the duel between Spain and Croatia.
Then Esther Sedlaczek will be in front of the camera again. The 38-year-old reports from the European Championship stadiums together with expert Bastian Schweinsteiger to get the audience in the mood for the games.
A few weeks before the start of the tournament, t-online spoke to the TV presenter – about the future of the sports show, the TV trouble in the Bundesliga and her big dream.
t-online: Ms. Sedlaczek, what feelings are you looking forward to the home European Championship?
Esther Sedlaczek: I feel a total sense of anticipation – and of course I think back a lot to the 2006 World Cup. I was 20 years old and was even able to watch two games live in the stadium: Germany against Argentina and the final between France and Italy.
Exactly, but even back then I wanted to be able to report on such a tournament. But that was as unlikely as wanting to be a princess at the age of four. When I think now, 18 years later, that in a few weeks I will be standing on the sidelines at a home tournament: That is unique. A home tournament doesn’t take place that often.
Do you remember how and where you watched the opening game in 2006?
In Berlin on Tucholskystrasse with a friend.
With a player jersey and made-up Germany flags on your face?
I had a Germany jersey – but it actually had my name on it (laughs). But back then I didn’t have that one player that I thought was particularly great or good. At the 2006 World Cup you think of the special moments, but also of those of the actual reservists. Odonkor’s assist against Poland or Borowski’s assist to Klose in the quarterfinals.
Or Zinédine Zidane’s headbutt in the final.
Unfortunately, even though I was in the stadium, I didn’t see it at all.
That was so bitter. I was at the Olympic Stadium with a friend and I don’t really know what I was doing at that moment. I felt like I had only turned away for a moment, turned back to the pitch and saw Zidane leaving the pitch and walking briskly towards the dressing room.
This year the European Championship final will also take place in Berlin. The ARD broadcasts. How much would it mean to you to host the final in your hometown?
We don’t need to talk about it. That would be everything for me. But life is not a dream concert, my colleague Alexander Bommes also has this dream. We’ll see how it happens.
Which teams are you betting on in the final?
I’m betting on the duel between England and France. Or that one of the two countries wins the European Championship. England came very close three years ago. And France still has an incredibly strong team. This squad warms your heart.
Does Germany have no chance of reaching the final?
Anything can happen at a tournament. But at the moment, reaching the final seems unrealistic to me after the past tournaments have been anything but good. I think Germany will survive the round of 16 – what happens next is a bonus. I would be happy if players like Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala became real identification figures. I trust both of them too. In terms of play, they are incredible.