“The base was a very important point in the planning of the tournament for Germany,” says Lars Wallrodt, chief football writer of Die Welt. “All the players have been talking about it. The idea of living together in this way has been very good for team spirit. You have your own space but the players are always bumping into each around the resort. It’s different to a hotel where you just have a room. They all say it has been the perfect place to rest and calm down. Getting the right base was always a huge thing for Oliver Bierhoff.”