Germany Retire 'Die Mannschaft' Brand

Update: Confirming previous reports, the German Football Federation (DFB) announced that the name "Die Mannschaft" is being retired. The DFB will refrain from actively promoting the national team with the name "Die Mannschaft."

"Surveys and analyses have shown that the name 'Die Mannschaft' has a high level of recognition and is especially well-recognized abroad. There it stands for values such as team spirit and success. However, it is also a fact that it is sometimes viewed critically and discussed emotionally in fan circles in this country," said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf.

The German national football team are set to ditch their marketing name "Die Mannschaft." ("The Team."), reports from Germany suggest.

Since 2015, when the the German national soccer team are officially called "Die Mannschaft.". The name has been unpopular among many Germans since ever being launched, including club officials like Dortmund's Watzke.

"Perhaps the first thing to do is to stop calling the team 'The Team,'" Borussia Dortmund's managing director told Der Spiegel. "This term is too detached for me. It is disrespectful to all other successful teams. 'The team' doesn't exist, there are many teams. We have to become more down-to-earth, get back to basics."

German Football Federation to Decide About 'Die Mannschaft' At The End of July

"We have agreed that we will start this survey promptly, and then there will be meetings at the end of July where we will come to a decision. There's an endpoint," Neuendorf said, "Then we'll have a decision and we can focus on the sporting stuff."

"We are concerned with additional messages, so that the image is solidified and rounded off," added the DFB chief, who was elected on March 1. Neuendorf said the term "The Team" has become a symbolic theme in terms of the team's closeness to fans and society. "When we have the result, we will include that in the discussion," Neuendorf said.

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