A blue sky and bright sunshine were awaiting the U23s on Tuesday morning as they made their way on to the training pitch in Brixen im Thale at 10:00 CET on the dot. A general warm-up and various ball familiarisation exercises were followed – for the first time at the training camp – by various match scenarios that required the players to find solutions in tight spaces. First with mini goals, then from box to box with normal-sized goals.
The training session ended with a cool-down in the nearby outdoor swimming baths, with some of their team members taking part in their own internal diving competition. Following that air show, which featured various routines, the team returned to the hotel. Lunch was followed by the welcome news from the coaching staff that they would have the afternoon off, meaning the scheduled training session did not take place.
The team used the free time in a whole host of different ways. Some headed for the outdoor swimming baths at the hotel. Another group enjoyed the afternoon with a coffee in town. Timo Bornemann and Ted Tattermusch were more active, the two attacking players heading for the Hahnenkamm. A gondola ride took them to the summit before they headed over hills and holes to the starting point of the famous “Streif” downhill race. The Streif is considered one of the most dangerous and difficult racing slopes in the world and has an average gradient of around 27 percent. “I really respect the athletes who ski down there,” said Bornemann, with Ted Tattermusch adding: “It was a nice afternoon. I think it’s great that we had the opportunity to see something like this outside of training.”
It was back to work in the evening, however, with video analysis on the agenda before dinner. In the evening, a viewing was held for the European Championship semi-final between Italy and Spain.
