University Footballers are European Champions

The senior national team has been giving German football fans more headaches than joy for several years now. The Würzburg university footballers have now shown how to do it better than the professionals: At the European University Championships, coach Gerhard Bömmel's team beat 15 other teams from all over Europe and can therefore call themselves European champions!

"Perhaps the best ten days of my life," is how defender Nicolas Reinhart describes the experience: "The tournament means a lot to me, the team spirit in our squad was really incredible, and the title was the icing on the cake," the sports student continues.

Ferdinand Hansel - actually a player himself, but was on duty in Albania as head of the delegation due to injury - can only agree: "Even for me, it was a really great feeling to actually win the title at the end after such an intense time. Above all because the team is simply a motley crew, but we all get on brilliantly and everyone has sacrificed themselves for everyone else!"

Almost all of the players are active in the club at a higher level, so with four or five training sessions a week, there isn't much time to attend the weekly training sessions at the university: "Before the tournaments, you make sure you meet up a few times to at least get to know each other a bit. But of course you can't practise much there," says Reinhart, who will be playing for TSV Aubstadt in the Bavarian regional league next season.

Sensed That Something Was Possible

The team had already suspected that something might be possible at the tournament in Albania. Those with tournament experience in particular knew that there was a lot of quality in the squad and so a place in the top three was set as an internal target.

However, the quality of the field of participants at such tournaments is always difficult to assess and the performance gap between the teams is often large: "For example, I thought our three group opponents were stronger than the Netherlands in the quarter-finals," summarised Nicolas Reinhart.

Würzburg's recipe for success ultimately lay in the unusual breadth of its squad - a real ace up its sleeve with six games in seven days. Especially in the quarter-finals and later in the final against Poland, the substitutes shone as goal scorers. In the semi-final against the highly-rated Ukrainians, on the other hand, defensive endeavour and tactical skill were required above all. Ultimately, goalkeeper Julian Schneider was the match-winner in the penalty shoot-out - and was also honoured as best goalkeeper after the end of the tournament.

Organisation "With Room for Improvement"

The organisation by the European University Sports Association (EUSA) ran less smoothly than the Würzburg match. The hotel helped out with bus transport to other games or washing the jerseys, and the footballers sometimes had to replace training materials such as hats for warming up with slippers.

"There were a few promises that weren't kept," says Ferdinand Hansel diplomatically. "That mainly concerned the venues. They advertised with pictures of stands and announced grass pitches, which never materialised. In the end, most of the matches took place on fairly small artificial pitches."

The final was also not played in the country's brand new, largest stadium - the Air Albania Stadium - as advertised: "Of course, that was a bit of a shame when we found out about it. However, it has to be said that the facility on which the final was played was also top-notch and clearly the best in the tournament," said Reinhart.

Fun Off the Pitch Too

In contrast, the footballers' experience of the leisure activities was overwhelmingly positive. The hotel where all the teams were accommodated regularly organised parties with DJs, in the evenings they were able to visit Albania's capital Tirana and on the day off they took a bus overland to the sea.

The exchange with the other athletes also went well. In particular, the players from Goethe University Frankfurt, the German representatives at the women's tournament taking place at the same time, and the boys from Würzburg supported each other in their games.

"The whole trip and of course the tournament itself were simply a brilliant experience," Nicolas Reinhart and Ferdinand Hansel agree.

Welcome From the University Board

"We are very proud of you. You have achieved a lot!" With these words, University President Paul Pauli congratulated all members of the competition team. Together with University Chancellor Uwe Klug, he invited players, coaches, trainers and supporters to a reception in the university's Senate Hall.

In his speech, Pauli drew parallels between sporting competition and working at a university - after all, the same factors are important in both areas in order to assert oneself in fair competition against opponents: the high quality of the players, a great team spirit, lots of enthusiasm and, of course, external support!

Add to this the necessary amount of luck and nothing stands in the way of success. A success that the competition team should now enjoy to the full, according to the university president.