It’s been a few weeks since the German national soccer team played their first international matches in 2023. A 2:0 against Peru in Mainz was followed by a 2:3 against Belgium in Cologne. Especially when it came to defeat, national coach Hans-Dieter Flick showed the team its limits. In the absence of some established forces, problems in defense and finishing resurfaced.
Since Germany is qualified as host for the EM 2024, there are no compulsory matches on the way there, only test matches. The German Football Association (DFB) announced further opponents on Monday.
The 1000th international match of a German men’s national team will take place on June 12 as a benefit match in Bremen against the Ukraine. On June 16, the DFB team will play Poland in Warsaw and on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen, one of the ten host cities of the European Championship, against Colombia.
With the benefit game on June 12, the national team is continuing the DFB’s commitment to institutions and organizations in the Ukraine suffering from the Russian war of aggression. The game against Ukraine will be the first international match in Bremen since 2012.
“The 1000th international match of the German men’s senior national team is a very special event. We would like to use it to set a clear sign for peace and international understanding and against war and destruction. That’s why we are very happy that we can play an international match with and for Ukraine on the occasion of our anniversary,” DFB President Bernd Neuendorf was quoted as saying in a statement from the association.
Since the beginning of the war of aggression, the DFB and the national team have been involved in various aid measures for the people affected by the war in Ukraine. Last year, the DFB Foundation Egidius Braun, together with partners, provided more than ten million euros for social projects in Ukraine. The foundation has been active in Ukraine since it was set up in the summer of 2001. In addition, the DFB Foundation Egidius Braun, in cooperation with the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, supports football clubs in Germany that support refugee children, young people and women from Ukraine. To date, more than 500 football clubs have been supported with the flat-rate bonus of 500 euros.
The game against Colombia will be broadcast by RTL, kick-off is at 8:45 p.m. The game in Poland is shown by ARD, and there too the kick-off is at 8.45 p.m. Kick-off time and broadcaster of the 1000th international match have not yet been determined.
“In addition to this very special game against Ukraine, in Poland and Colombia we have found two other attractive opponents on our way to the European Championships at home,” said national coach Flick: “In these international matches we want to build on what the team did in the second phase of the game against Belgium showed. The first half hour made it clear to us what we have to work on before the EURO. But if the team learns the right lessons from this and performs like they did against Belgium in the next 60 minutes, defending passionately and boldly going forward, the fans will go along with it and the stadium will be behind us.”