Team manager Oliver Bierhoff has admitted the Germans have doubts about their base for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with the travel distances and differing climates the main issues for the German Football Federation (DFB) to tackle. Bierhoff and Germany coach Joachim Loew had wanted to make a decision on their base for the 2014 World Cup which takes places from June 12 until July 13, in the next few weeks, but still do not have a preferred base.
"The distances involved and the climatic differences are the main sticking points. The demands on the players will be extreme," Bierhoff told German magazine Kicker. Bierhoff said feedback from coaches and players involved in the Confederations Cup, which saw Brazil beat Spain 3-0 in the final, "about the high demands (due to the travel) has given me a few worries".
Having already visited Brazil several times, Bierhoff said he was shocked by recent images of Brazilians protesting against corruption and the billions of dollars invested in next year's World Cup rather than in public services. Options considered by the Germans for their World Cup base include Salvador in the central Bahia province, the southern capital Sao Paulo and Recife in the north, but Loew and Bierhoff's visit last month threw up more questions than answers.