The German Football Federation (DFB) plans to give up the official nickname of the national team before the World Cup in Qatar
After years of controversy, the German Football Federation (DFB) plans to give up before the World Cup in Qatar the official nickname of the national team, “Die Mannschaft”, accused of never having won over the fans and of making shadow to other teams.
Painted in huge letters on the team bus and used in all German FA communication since 2015, the phrase ‘Die Mannschaft’ in German simply means: ‘The Team’.
As a result, many other German teams found the name arrogant, as if there was only one “team” in the world, the men’s A selection.
“This expression (…) is a lack of respect for all the other winning teams”, thus attacked the influential vice-president of the DFB Hans-Joachim Watzke, also boss of Borussia Dortmund, who asks his own federation to “get your feet back on the ground”.
Another vice-president of the DFB, Hermann Winkler, believes for his part that “almost a single supporter no longer identifies with this expression, and therefore with our national team”.
Oliver Bierhoff, manager of the national team, sees things differently: “I know that the expression +Die Mannschaft+ divides”, he admits, “but abroad the fans have only called our team that since years. It has become a very strong concept with an immense diffusion”.
Decision in July
Coach Hansi Flick is also in favor of keeping the expression: “For me it’s ‘L’Equipe’, because every player is a part of Germany and loves to play for this nation”.
The presidium (supreme body) of the Federation must decide in July, to “find a solution in time before the World Cup”, according to Mr. Winkler.
The paradox is that this name, which has never convinced the Germans, is used – as Bierhoff points out – by all the international press to designate the quadruple world champions.
After Germany’s world title in Brazil in 2014, the DFB therefore decided to formalize the nickname, with the creation of a new logo in July 2015.
But the traditionalist fringe of German fans reacted badly to the initiative, seeing it as a commercial operation of the DFB, disconnected from the national culture of the supporters. The German press did not follow either and continues today to use the words “Nationalelf” (the national eleven), DFB-Elf (the eleven of the DFB), DFB-Auswahl (the selection of the DFB) or DFB-Team.
We can however bet that the “Mannschaft” will survive a long time – outside of Germany – its official disappearance, because the reporters of the whole world like nicknames.
For years, the stands of commentators resound with the words “Squadra Azzurra” for Italy or “tricolor team” for France, although these two expressions are not used in these two countries, which prefer them on the one hand ” the Nazionale” or the “Azzurri”, on the other hand “Les Bleus”.
As for the German internationals themselves, according to Hansi Flick, they are not the least interested in this semantic debate.
“And it’s not the name that contributes to whether we win or not,” adds the coach, more focused on his Nations League match against Hungary on Saturday than on the slogan painted on the bus.