Experts gather in Florianopolis for World Cup team workshop

Final preparations for the World Cup officially get underway on Tuesday, with FIFA delegations inviting all 32 participating nations to take part in a team workshop in Florianopolis. However, the DFB began its preparations last weekend by sending an advance party to spend some time in Porto Seguro in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Germany will be staying nearby at Campo Bahia during this summer’s tournament, and there is still much to be organised, planned and finalised before the squad arrives.

In light of this, the DFB delegation held discussions over the weekend with a number of parties, including local authorities and the governor of Bahia, about issues such as logistics and travel, working with the security authorities, IT, the media centre and on-site medical care.

This advance party will receive additional support today, when national team manager Oliver Bierhoff, DFB deputy general secretary Stefan Hans, and DFB travel agency CEO Wolfgang Wirthmann arrive at Campo Bahia. The delegation will then survey the progress of building work at Germany’s base camp and update Bierhoff, Hans and Wirthmann on the outcome of discussions with local authorities.

Bierhoff: "Our experts have equipped us with excellent local knowledge"

While some of the DFB’s delegation will return home as early as Tuesday, the majority will fly to Florianopolis via Sao Paolo to take part in the FIFA team workshop. Bierhoff’s experience of similar events at past tournaments means he knows what to expect over the coming days.

“The team workshop covers the final details in several areas,” explains Bierhoff. “Ultimately, our experts will receive specific information about progress at each of the venues. Although we already know the key details here, we can discuss any unclear points directly with FIFA and the local Organising Committee.”

Bierhoff believes the DFB is well prepared for the Florianopolis event. “Our experts have equipped us with excellent local knowledge,” he explains. “As a result, we can guarantee that we have done everything we can to ensure the tournament runs smoothly for players, fans and the wider DFB family.”

created by sl