Mertesacker urges ice‑bath mindset as he prepares to lead DFB

A 2014 World Cup winner will soon take on a key role at the DFB and already has ideas about what the German national team lacks. Per Mertesacker is calling for a stronger mentality and more genuine characters.

Ice‑bath call echoes 2014 triumph

He told on the sidelines of the Sports Press Ball that “maybe the ice bath will become important again at the DFB”. He added that the federation must consider whether it has enough strong personalities for future moments.

Mertesacker referred to the unforgettable 2–1 extra‑time victory over Algeria in the 2014 World Cup round of 16, when he rebuffed ZDF reporter Boris Büchler’s criticism. He recalled saying, “I’m going to spend three days in the ice bath now, and then we’ll analyse the match calmly,” at the time. Germany were crowned world champions shortly afterwards.

He will succeed Andreas Rettig as DFB managing director on 1 January. Consequently, he will not yet follow the upcoming Nations League matches in Serbia and against the Netherlands in an official capacity.

Mertesacker praised head coach Jürgen Klopp, saying the German side now has clarity and a clear strategy that is serving them very well. He warned that, despite Klopp’s first steps, the team still has several steps to take to return to the top four.