Germany trying to overcome Paris trauma

Germany coach Joachim Loew said on Tuesday his players would remain affected "for a long time" by November's Paris terror attacks, adding that it would impact their preparations for Euro 2016 in France.

"Each one of us carries with us the terrible events from Paris and in all likelihood will for a long time," Loew said in an interview with German public radio Bayerische Rundfunk.

"And I believe we must speak about it with the team in March, to prepare us a little and to adjust because we're playing in Paris twice during the group stage and we must not bring those bad memories with us," he said.

World champions Germany were playing France in a friendly at the Stade de France on November 13 when three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the stadium, part of a wave of attacks across the French capital which left 130 people dead and many more injured.

Germany's subsequent friendly against the Netherlands four days later in Hanover was then cancelled because of a bomb threat.

"It took me two or three days to get back to a 'normal life'," Loew told the Bavarian radio station, adding that he had sought out family members and the German team psychologist, Hans-Dieter Hermann, to help overcome the traumatic events.

Germany, who face Ukraine in Lille on June 12 in their opening game of next summer's European Championship, will then return to Paris to take on Poland at the Stade de France on June 16 before playing Northern Ireland at the Parc des Princes five days later.
Source: AFP