Before the FIFA World Cup gets underway on 12 June with Brazil versus Croatia in Sao Paolo, another unofficial World Cup of meticulous planning and structure is already in full swing. Which team has the best conditions, which fans are receiving the best support and which association has laid the best groundwork ahead of the main event?
Much is riding on this particular World Cup and plenty of work has gone into preparing for it. Germany’s contribution to this international logistics competition has been coordinated and designed at the national team’s office at DFB headquarters and overseen by Georg Behlau. DFB.de spoke with the 45-year-old and came away with answers to some of the most important questions about the logistics of this summer’s World Cup.
When did the DFB begin planning for the World Cup in Brazil, and how often did the team visit the World Cup host nation?
When one tournament ends, another begins. Work for the 2014 World Cup project was stepped up as soon as the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine drew to a close, and Oliver Bierhoff, Wolfgang Wirthmann, the head of the DFB’s travel office, and Georg Behlau made their first preparatory trip at that point. The team visited Brazil seven more times in the months that followed, until they had built a comprehensive overview of all the host cities except Manaus. More than 25 hotels were considered as potential team bases, with Itu, near Sao Paolo, and Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia chosen as the final two candidates.
Why was Campo Bahia and the location of Porto Seguro chosen as the team’s base camp during the World Cup?
After visiting the various sites, the DFB selected two options: a complex near Itu in Sao Paolo and the option in the north of the country at Campo Bahia near Porto Seguro. When Germany were drawn to play in Salvador, Recife and Fortaleza, Campo Bahia was chosen as the final option relatively quickly, as the Porto Seguro location offered the best climatic and geographical solution by some distance, and because plans for the complex were extremely convincing from the start. Once Campo Bahia was selected, more detailed work could begin. Expert teams made numerous trips to the area, while in Germany the DFB’s technical departments continued their preparations – developing the Fan Camp, creating DFB contact points at each of the relevant host cities and refining security arrangements.
How great a logistical challenge is it to equip a complex in Brazil with everything the national team could possibly need during a tournament from thousands of miles away in Germany?
In total, the DFB and its partners will be transporting more than 23 tonnes of supplies and equipment to the team’s base. 12 tonnes of that is purely for the team itself, including nine tonnes of freight being shipped to Brazil by a logistics company. The luggage of the players and staff weighs another 3.2 tonnes and includes 20 team strips, playing kit, medical supplies and training equipment. Partners and service providers are providing additional elements, such as fitness equipment shipped from Europe and the USA. The team have even packed mountain bikes.
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Before the FIFA World Cup gets underway on 12 June with Brazil versus Croatia in Sao Paolo, another unofficial World Cup of meticulous planning and structure is already in full swing. Which team has the best conditions, which fans are receiving the best support and which association has laid the best groundwork ahead of the main event?
Much is riding on this particular World Cup and plenty of work has gone into preparing for it. Germany’s contribution to this international logistics competition has been coordinated and designed at the national team’s office at DFB headquarters and overseen by Georg Behlau. DFB.de spoke with the 45-year-old and came away with answers to some of the most important questions about the logistics of this summer’s World Cup.
When did the DFB begin planning for the World Cup in Brazil, and how often did the team visit the World Cup host nation?
When one tournament ends, another begins. Work for the 2014 World Cup project was stepped up as soon as the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine drew to a close, and Oliver Bierhoff, Wolfgang Wirthmann, the head of the DFB’s travel office, and Georg Behlau made their first preparatory trip at that point. The team visited Brazil seven more times in the months that followed, until they had built a comprehensive overview of all the host cities except Manaus. More than 25 hotels were considered as potential team bases, with Itu, near Sao Paolo, and Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia chosen as the final two candidates.
Why was Campo Bahia and the location of Porto Seguro chosen as the team’s base camp during the World Cup?
After visiting the various sites, the DFB selected two options: a complex near Itu in Sao Paolo and the option in the north of the country at Campo Bahia near Porto Seguro. When Germany were drawn to play in Salvador, Recife and Fortaleza, Campo Bahia was chosen as the final option relatively quickly, as the Porto Seguro location offered the best climatic and geographical solution by some distance, and because plans for the complex were extremely convincing from the start. Once Campo Bahia was selected, more detailed work could begin. Expert teams made numerous trips to the area, while in Germany the DFB’s technical departments continued their preparations – developing the Fan Camp, creating DFB contact points at each of the relevant host cities and refining security arrangements.
How great a logistical challenge is it to equip a complex in Brazil with everything the national team could possibly need during a tournament from thousands of miles away in Germany?
In total, the DFB and its partners will be transporting more than 23 tonnes of supplies and equipment to the team’s base. 12 tonnes of that is purely for the team itself, including nine tonnes of freight being shipped to Brazil by a logistics company. The luggage of the players and staff weighs another 3.2 tonnes and includes 20 team strips, playing kit, medical supplies and training equipment. Partners and service providers are providing additional elements, such as fitness equipment shipped from Europe and the USA. The team have even packed mountain bikes.
How many people will be staying at Campo Bahia?
There will be 62 people in total: 23 players plus 33 members of the management team and technical staff. Then there are doctors, physiotherapists, fitness trainers, match analysts, media team representatives, kit managers, two chefs, a representative from the travel office and two members of the national team’s office. The technical staff will be supported by two members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). The ever-expanding support staff required at tournaments, such as media staff, marketing, security, drivers and IT support, will be housed in neighbouring hotels.
Fully-functioning IT services have become increasingly important for both the team and the accompanying media. What is the situation in Brazil?
Brazil is a challenge when it comes to IT, both in terms of mobile and internet coverage. An acceptable solution was reached with the governor of the state of Bahia at an early stage. IT infrastructure has been installed, both in terms of WLAN and also via Oi, a Brazilian mobile communications provider that has installed two mobile cellular masts. Fully-functioning IT is important not just for players and journalists but for scouting too. Together with its partner, SAP, the DFB has built up a remarkable database over the past few years, giving scouts access to more than five terabytes of performance data and video footage.
When all is said and done, the football is the most important consideration. How good are training conditions for the national team?
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This aspect is the main priority for Georg Behlau and his team, who engaged seasoned expert Rainer Ernst to design the pitches. Ernst developed a top training facility in a short space of time and under the most challenging conditions, even providing Andreas Köpke with his own pitch for goalkeeping coaching alongside the main training pitch. The facilities also include the necessary functional buildings, a fitness tent and floodlights.
What will working conditions be like at the site for journalists?
The DFB were determined to continue the tradition of past tournaments and spare no expense or effort in providing a professional media centre at this World Cup, despite the challenging conditions. The media centre is situated just 700 metres from Campo Bahia while the training pitches are no more than 1.4 kilometres away. A 600-seater media stand has also been erected beside the main training pitch.
How many of the DFB’s staff are involved with the World Cup?
Almost the entire association is involved with the World Cup. The DFB delegation, headed by President Wolfgang Niersbach, will support the team in person at each of their matches in Brazil. In terms of management, General Secretary Helmut Sandrock has been holding regular meetings with all the technical departments involved in tournament planning over the past few months. The organisation and event management team is creating contact points at each host city. The security officer is in constant contact with the German and Brazilian authorities and will be represented by his team in Porto Seguro and at every host city. Ticketing has also been extremely important: by selling 60,000 World Cup tickets, Germany has sold the fourth-highest number of tickets worldwide and the highest number in Europe.
How great is the DFB’s social engagement in Brazil?
For the first time at a World Cup, the DFB and League Association have managed to completely combine their charitable activities, meaning that the whole of German football is committed to social causes. More than 15 long-term projects are being supported. Some of these are pre-existing projects led by the Egidius Braun Foundation or the Children’s Mission Organisation (Kindermissionswerk), while others are new projects launched to coincide with the World Cup and each scheduled to last at least five years.
In Santo André, where the team base is situated, the national team is supporting a school by providing educational materials, funding for teaching staff and afternoon childcare. This initiative also includes the total renovation of a small recreational football pitch. Another project the DFB is supporting is Project Adolscer, an established educational programme for children and young people from the favelas in the coastal city of Recife. These initiatives all demonstrate how the World Cup provides an excellent opportunity to work together for the common good.
