On Friday, the site of the German national team's accommodation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was announced. The DFB opted for Campo Bahia, an eco-resort near Porto Seguro built by the Hirmer Group and scheduled for completion in March 2014. Since then, much has been said and written about the decision, not all of it accurate.
Incorrect reports that the DFB had overseen and paid for the construction itself have been repeated several times. Many different parties have expressed their views, but not the players – until now. In an interview with Munich's regional Münchner Merkur newspaper, captain Philip Lahm revealed how much he is looking forward to staying at Campo Bahia.
"Accomodation is ideal for the matches we expect"
Lahm was not surprised by the decision because, as team captain, he was involved in selecting the right site. "Our discussions beforehand focused on issues such as: Where do we go? Which region makes the most sense? Climate conditions played a major role in that decision. We had to wait for the draw, but now we can say that this accommodation is ideal for the matches we expect to play during the tournament."
The players were pleased with the DFB's team base choices for previous tournaments, and Lahm is convinced that 2014 will be no exception. "It's absolutely top-rate accommodation again, where we can completely focus on our achieving our targets in extremely pleasant surroundings." For Lahm, Campo Bahia has several advantages, the fact that the resort can only be reached by ferry being just one of them. "That's quite odd", he said, "but it's charming and sounds a little adventurous." Lahm is also pleased that the Campo Bahia is not a traditional hotel. "The accommodation is great because it's made up of self-contained apartments rather than individual rooms."
"Each player needs to feel at home"
Lahm is aware of discussions about the alleged pampering of national team players, and the debate about their luxurious surroundings during major tournaments was reignited after the selection of Campo Bahia was announced. He views the issue from a different, calmer and more pragmatic perspective. "The feel-good factor is discussed time and again, but the fact remains that a team has to be comfortable and each player needs to feel at home." Lahm believes the reason for this lies with the team's ambitions.
"We are the German national team and our aim is to remain in every tournament for as long as possible. That means we're expecting to spend longer in one place than most teams, so we need to be able to feel comfortable there. Otherwise, it gets difficult if you spend so long grouped together and have hardly any space to move."
