joshua kimmich said Germany found a venomous snake at its training base in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the squad has been told to be careful around the animals. The warning landed during a tournament run that already opened with a 7-1 win over Curacao, so the team now has one more issue to watch before Saturday's match against Ivory Coast in Toronto.
Kimmich on the snake
The Germany captain said, "We saw a snake yesterday and we were advised it was venomous." He added, "If you get bitten, you have to go to the hospital. I don’t think you’ll die, but it’s certainly dangerous. I have a bit of respect for them here. In Germany, there aren’t so many dangerous animals."
He also said, "I have the feeling that if you step on such a snake, it can end badly. That’s why we’re trying to be careful when it comes to the animals."
Winston-Salem training base
The reported intruder was identified in reports as a copperhead. That fits the local picture: copperheads account for 90 per cent of venomous snakebites in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission says copperhead bites can be painful but are not considered life-threatening.
The same commission says copperheads should be left alone, which turns the encounter from a strange camp story into a practical issue for a team using an outdoor base in the state. Germany had already dealt with mosquitoes during the 2024 European Championship in Germany, but this problem sits right at the training ground.
Germany before Ivory Coast
The snake report arrives with Germany already in a strong position after beating Curacao 7-1 in Houston in its first game of the tournament. That result virtually guarantees a place in the next round, while the team now turns to Ivory Coast on Saturday in Toronto with the training environment under closer watch than usual.
