“Psychological tricks” in the European Championship quarter-finals: National coach Christian Wück reveals penalty secret

Basel. After the dramatic 6-5 penalty shootout victory against France, national coach Christian Wück explained the German women's soccer team's recipe for success. "You can't do special training. We've sprinkled it in here and there. We also told them two or three psychological tricks that we value and that we're convinced will help us," said the 52-year-old after the European Championship quarterfinals in Basel.

The nerves of steel of the German national team, which has converted 7 of 9 penalties so far in the tournament, including the penalty shootout against France, are striking given their otherwise poor scoring record in the tournament. Of a total of 41 attempts, only 24 found the net.

Wück quickly found an explanation for the German precision: "This is the third time I've managed it. This is the third time I've won a penalty shootout against the French at a major tournament." He led the men's U17 team to the title at the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 European Championship – in each case in the final against France.

The neighboring country is also a favorite opponent for the German women. In their sixth World Cup or European Championship encounter, they achieved their sixth victory – for the first time after a penalty shootout. At the last European Championship, the German team advanced to the final with a 2-1 win over the French.

RND/dpa