Dr. Zwanziger: "Football is a vital part of life"

Dear friends of football,

Let us take a look back to the meaningful days of 2007. Success often triggers more positive developments, and 2007 indeed has been a successfull year for the Deutsche Fußball-Bund (DFB), the German Association of Football.

Our national teams, skillfully coached by Joachim Löw and Silvia Neid, played enjoyable, entertaining and often winning football. We more than fullfilled our social responsibilities, which becomes evident in the financing of 1,000 mini-pitches – most of these minature football fields for children and teens are currently being constructed. The DFB General Assembly in Mainz and the reelection of the Presidential Board were a pleasant experience, as the delegates worked and voted in a constructive atmosphere of harmonious consent. But nothing matches or even comes close to the women’s success in 2007.

Silvia Neid’s team won the World Championship again, as our women are now reigning European and World Champions. At the tournament in China, they did not give up a single goal. They now lead the FIFA World Ranking for five years in a row. What an incomparable team indeed! Since October 30, we also know that the DFB women will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance and challenge to defend their World Cup title in front of their own fans. FIFA acknowledged our well-prepared bidding, with the Executive Committee naming Germany as the host of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. We look forward to once again welcome the world as friends, just as we did in that wonderful summer of 2006.

Following the Zurich vote, we immediately started preparations. Obviously staffing the Local Organising Committee has to be the first important step on the road to 2011. Only days after FIFA’s decision, we were able to present former national player Steffi Jones as the LOC President. Jones and her dedicated staff will not tire to fullfill the promise attached to 2011 – that women’s football will receive a global boost by the World Cup in Germany.

Our men’s team continued an exciting evolution which had begun at the last World Cup. Displaying an attacking style of football, the DFB team qualified for the UEFA 2008 European Championships ahead of all other teams. Granted, once our players had qualified for the EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, their perfomances were less thrilling. We only won one game out of the last three. Anticipation among fans in Germany for the EURO is unmatched. Everybody looks forward to our group games against Poland, Croatia and Austria.

At the General Assembly in Mainz, the Presedential Board extended the contract of Joachim Löw and his staff until 2010, while Silvia Neid’s contract was extended until 2013, thus creating a solid basis for future successes. Peking and the Olympic Games will be the focus for our women, while the EURO 2008 kicks off on June 7.

But today’s result should not outweigh long-term perspectives. We feel very confident about the strategic direction taken by Löw and Neid, which led to their contract extensions. Trust and consent also characterise the relationship with national team manager Oliver Bierhoff and DFB Technical Director Matthias Sammer, both instrumental in the 1996 triumph and now hopefully steering today’s team to yet another title.

Our junior teams deserve to be mentioned as well. The U 17 finished in 3rd place at the South Koean FIFA World Cup. The women once again finished even better, with Maren Meinert’s U 19 defending their title at the European Championships in Iceland. Overall, German football has regained a plateau among the football nations of the world, that we had left for quite some time. It’s good to be back.

None of this would be possible without the dedicated work of our volunteers in the 26,000 clubs assembled under the roof of the DFB as well as in our regional associations. I want to thank all of them for their passion and devotion to the game of football. I feel tremendous gratitude for my friends, who had served the DFB for many decades, and who left their offices following the Mainz Assembly because they have reached the agreed-upon age. And I look forward to the work ahead, now being administrated by well-known companions performing new duties, such as our General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach, the successor of Horst R. Schmidt, who took over the treasurer’s office. Dr. Reinhard Rauball, the new League President, will be our partner in upcoming important negotiations.

Let’s all work together in the spirit of the game, united by the knowledge that football is such a vital and rewarding part of all our lives. And that our priviledged position entails a social obligation. I wish all of you success and most importantly good health as we enter this new and exciting year of 2008.

Dr. Theo Zwanziger
President Deutscher Fußball-Bund

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Dear friends of football,

Let us take a look back to the meaningful days of 2007. Success often triggers more positive developments, and 2007 indeed has been a successfull year for the Deutsche Fußball-Bund (DFB), the German Association of Football.

Our national teams, skillfully coached by Joachim Löw and Silvia Neid, played enjoyable, entertaining and often winning football. We more than fullfilled our social responsibilities, which becomes evident in the financing of 1,000 mini-pitches – most of these minature football fields for children and teens are currently being constructed. The DFB General Assembly in Mainz and the reelection of the Presidential Board were a pleasant experience, as the delegates worked and voted in a constructive atmosphere of harmonious consent. But nothing matches or even comes close to the women’s success in 2007.

Silvia Neid’s team won the World Championship again, as our women are now reigning European and World Champions. At the tournament in China, they did not give up a single goal. They now lead the FIFA World Ranking for five years in a row. What an incomparable team indeed! Since October 30, we also know that the DFB women will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance and challenge to defend their World Cup title in front of their own fans. FIFA acknowledged our well-prepared bidding, with the Executive Committee naming Germany as the host of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. We look forward to once again welcome the world as friends, just as we did in that wonderful summer of 2006.

Following the Zurich vote, we immediately started preparations. Obviously staffing the Local Organising Committee has to be the first important step on the road to 2011. Only days after FIFA’s decision, we were able to present former national player Steffi Jones as the LOC President. Jones and her dedicated staff will not tire to fullfill the promise attached to 2011 – that women’s football will receive a global boost by the World Cup in Germany.

Our men’s team continued an exciting evolution which had begun at the last World Cup. Displaying an attacking style of football, the DFB team qualified for the UEFA 2008 European Championships ahead of all other teams. Granted, once our players had qualified for the EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, their perfomances were less thrilling. We only won one game out of the last three. Anticipation among fans in Germany for the EURO is unmatched. Everybody looks forward to our group games against Poland, Croatia and Austria.

At the General Assembly in Mainz, the Presedential Board extended the contract of Joachim Löw and his staff until 2010, while Silvia Neid’s contract was extended until 2013, thus creating a solid basis for future successes. Peking and the Olympic Games will be the focus for our women, while the EURO 2008 kicks off on June 7.

But today’s result should not outweigh long-term perspectives. We feel very confident about the strategic direction taken by Löw and Neid, which led to their contract extensions. Trust and consent also characterise the relationship with national team manager Oliver Bierhoff and DFB Technical Director Matthias Sammer, both instrumental in the 1996 triumph and now hopefully steering today’s team to yet another title.

Our junior teams deserve to be mentioned as well. The U 17 finished in 3rd place at the South Koean FIFA World Cup. The women once again finished even better, with Maren Meinert’s U 19 defending their title at the European Championships in Iceland. Overall, German football has regained a plateau among the football nations of the world, that we had left for quite some time. It’s good to be back.

None of this would be possible without the dedicated work of our volunteers in the 26,000 clubs assembled under the roof of the DFB as well as in our regional associations. I want to thank all of them for their passion and devotion to the game of football. I feel tremendous gratitude for my friends, who had served the DFB for many decades, and who left their offices following the Mainz Assembly because they have reached the agreed-upon age. And I look forward to the work ahead, now being administrated by well-known companions performing new duties, such as our General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach, the successor of Horst R. Schmidt, who took over the treasurer’s office. Dr. Reinhard Rauball, the new League President, will be our partner in upcoming important negotiations.

Let’s all work together in the spirit of the game, united by the knowledge that football is such a vital and rewarding part of all our lives. And that our priviledged position entails a social obligation. I wish all of you success and most importantly good health as we enter this new and exciting year of 2008.

Dr. Theo Zwanziger
President Deutscher Fußball-Bund