Bühl: No yeah well, my French could use some freshening up. If you learn a pretty sizeable amount in nursery, you lose it if you don’t speak it frequently unfortunately.
DFB.de: You were part of the U20s team that played here in the World Cup last summer, even spending some time here in Rennes and the rest of Brittany. Did you enjoy your time in these areas of France?
Bühl: We stayed in a great hotel where we felt very comfortable. We even had our own area dedicated to the team, allowing us the space to relax in our free time. I think that’s important, especially during a major tournament. In these situations, a team comes together and it helps us to achieve success together.
DFB.de: What are you most looking forward to over the coming weeks?
Bühl: The call up to the World Cup squad is already a huge achievement. In every training session and in every match, regardless of whether it comes from the coaching team or a teammate, there is so much for me to learn from and progress. I want to use my time here in France to continue to develop. I would like to use all of the experience I could gain here in France with my club in the Frauen-Bundesliga next season.
DFB.de: Is the excitement slowly rising?
Bühl: Definitely. The excitement grows with every passing day as we approach our opening group match. We’re excited for everything that stands in our way. I may have already played at major tournaments with some of the youth teams but this is a whole new kettle of fish.
DFB.de: Is there a particular match that you are especially excited for?
After Lena Oberdorf, she is the youngest player in the Germany squad for the Women’s World Cup and has travelled to France with just two national team caps to her name. 18-year-old Klara Brühl from SC Freiburg spoke in an interview with DFB.de editor Sabrina Dirks about her first impression of France, her relationship to the hosts and anticipation.
DFB.de: The first morning in France – how’s it been up until this point?
Klara Bühl: Very good, we were allowed to test out the pitch for the first time this morning. That was a good feeling to finally have the ball at your feet. You think “this is really happening now”. We already feel comfortable here with the environment and the temperatures. It’s a bit cooler here than in Germany but for a footballer it’s perfect.
DFB.de: Did you bring a lucky charm for the World Cup?
Bühl: Not really but a friend brought a small packet with her that hasn’t been opened yet. I’ll have to be patient about that (laughs) . My boyfriend gave me a cuddly toy as a lucky charm and my parents will be at two group stage games which I’m really looking forward to.
DFB.de: On the topic of parents, they have a very special relationship with France.
Bühl: Yeah so I was born in Bavarian is Hassfurt and then moved with my family to the centre of Paris. I lived there for four years and went to a French nursery before my dad’s work sent him back to Germany.
DFB.de: So you’ll have no problems understanding things, right?
Bühl: No yeah well, my French could use some freshening up. If you learn a pretty sizeable amount in nursery, you lose it if you don’t speak it frequently unfortunately.
DFB.de: You were part of the U20s team that played here in the World Cup last summer, even spending some time here in Rennes and the rest of Brittany. Did you enjoy your time in these areas of France?
Bühl: We stayed in a great hotel where we felt very comfortable. We even had our own area dedicated to the team, allowing us the space to relax in our free time. I think that’s important, especially during a major tournament. In these situations, a team comes together and it helps us to achieve success together.
DFB.de: What are you most looking forward to over the coming weeks?
Bühl: The call up to the World Cup squad is already a huge achievement. In every training session and in every match, regardless of whether it comes from the coaching team or a teammate, there is so much for me to learn from and progress. I want to use my time here in France to continue to develop. I would like to use all of the experience I could gain here in France with my club in the Frauen-Bundesliga next season.
DFB.de: Is the excitement slowly rising?
Bühl: Definitely. The excitement grows with every passing day as we approach our opening group match. We’re excited for everything that stands in our way. I may have already played at major tournaments with some of the youth teams but this is a whole new kettle of fish.
DFB.de: Is there a particular match that you are especially excited for?
Bühl: When I played with the DFB-Frauen U17s, we had some very tight matches against Spain who were always tough opponents to face. I think when we meet this month it will be an exciting match that demands a lot from us. I'm probably most excited for that.
