Turmoil between players, a perceived lack of fan support and delicate political issues dominate the latest installment of All or Nothing, which focuses on Germany’s tumultuous World Cup campaign in Qatar.
The latest addition to Amazon’s ever-expanding roster of behind-the-scenes documentaries, released on September 8, promises to be the most explosive football offering to date.
The trailer shows a heated argument during training between Antonio Rudiger and Joshua Kimmich, a despondent Hansi Flick warning his players that there is little support for them at home, and Leon Goretzka reflecting on the impact of playing in Qatar.
“This is not the team I imagined,” Flick complains to his staff and players during a tactical meeting.
The mood is similarly tense on the training ground, with Rudiger and Kimmich engaged in a candid conversation that almost resembles an argument.
Germany was eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup
The four-time winners failed to reach the knockout stages for the second time in a row after finishing third in Group E
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“I’m giving you instructions,” says the Real Madrid defender.
“But never in my face,” replies the Bayern Munich star.
In another cut, Rüdiger unceremoniously pushes Goretzka off during training, while Borussia Dortmund defender Niklas Sule warns Kimmich: “Stop yapping at me, I’m telling you.”
Germany were knocked out of the group stage in 2018 and again failed to reach the knockout stage after finishing third in Group E behind Japan and Spain.
The four-time winners suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in their opening game against Japan, needing a late goal from Niclas Fullkrug to save a point against Spain.
Fullkrug and Kai Havertz scored again late as Die Mannschaft came from behind to beat Costa Rica in their final game, but Spain’s defeat to Japan meant they were eliminated on goal difference.
Their battle on the pitch was only exacerbated by a diplomatic spat between the German Football Association (DFB) and FIFA over the latter’s decision to ban an LGBTQ bracelet.
FIFA had threatened seven European teams with sanctions for wearing the ‘OneLove’ bracelet – seen as a symbolic protest against the laws in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
The trailer shows German manager Hansi Flick complaining to his players and staff that the team at the World Cup is not what he imagined
Joshua Kimmich (left) and Antonio Rudiger (right) were involved in a heated argument
Flick warned his players that they received very little support from fans in Germany
It was initially reported that the sanction would take the form of a yellow card for the player wearing the armband, but reports later suggested that FIFA had threatened further penalties for the players and teams if they chose to wear the armband.
In response to the FIFA ban, German players covered their mouths as they posed for a team photo ahead of the game against Japan.
The DFB subsequently released a statement strongly supporting the team, stating: “To ban the armband is to ban our right to speak.”
The political background and controversy surrounding the issue are featured prominently in the trailer.
“Forget what happened guys,” Flick says in a clip.
“We were just talking about politics.”
Flick also refers to a perceived lack of support in Germany, where thousands of fans supported the Boycott Qatar campaign and urged teams not to travel to the World Cup.
German players covered their mouths before the match to Japan to protest FIFA’s decision to ban the ‘OneLove’ bracelets
Leon Goretzka (center) discussed the issue of politics while speaking to the press in the trailer
“I didn’t sleep well last night because we don’t have support in Germany,” he says.
In another scene, a gloomy-looking Goretzka discusses the matter with the journalists.
“What I expect from everyone is that we can completely forget about these problems when we are on the pitch,” he says.
Perhaps the most succinct summary of Germany’s tumultuous World Cup campaign comes from Oliver Bierhoff, who left his role as sporting director of the DFB following Germany’s elimination.
“What’s wrong with this team,” he asks in one scene before adding. “I’m seething.”
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