DFB: Hansi Flicks TV expert had to leave the team hotel

by Marcel Schwamborn (msw)

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Hamburg. On the edge of the German national team’s 2-1 win against Romania on Friday evening (October 8, 2021), a detail was noticed. An important person in the closest escort of the DFB-Elf was missing. Hans-Ulrich “Uli” Voigt (68) coordinates the team’s cooperation with the TV media and organizes the interview requests. But he wasn’t in the Volksparkstadion.

Voigt usually accompanies the national coach to the TV interview before and after the games and organizes the players for the quick TV talks after the final whistle. But Jens Grittner (51), who is otherwise responsible for the press conferences, also took over this position against Romania. After working for the DFB since 2005, is Voigt from Bonn no longer there?

Voigt was a TV reporter for Sat.1 and Premiere for many years, and head of football for RTL for five years. For the documentary He was the director and screenwriter responsible for “The Team” about the 2014 World Cup. He achieved “notoriety” especially at the 2018 World Cup, when he cheered provocatively in front of the opponent’s bench after the late winning goal against Sweden. There was nudge and abuse.

EXPRESS.de found out what is behind the personnel: Corona fear! The TV expert was still with the team on Monday when the players arrived at the hotel and on Tuesday for the first training session. But then he had to leave the quarter in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld. “On the weekend before he came to the team, Uli had contact with someone who later tested positive,” explained Grittner.

Copyright: imago images/Moritz Müller

That is also part of the job: Uli Voigt as “patron” for Joachim Löw at the European Championship game against England on June 29, 2021.

It was therefore decided that he should leave this international tour. And this despite the fact that all corona tests carried out since Monday have been negative and the 68-year-old has been vaccinated twice. But the safety of players and coaches comes first.

DFB: Seven farewells at the international match in November

So Voigt will be back at the next international matches in November. For this, some other long-term companions will officially say goodbye in Wolfsburg, where the team will meet before the last two qualifying games. The focus in the VW city is of course on saying goodbye to Joachim Löw (61). Like ex-goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke (59), he should be honored again.