WHY Germany sucks at talent development

[@goodnessbassey7692]

As a Nigerian, i always admire the German national team, here we call them the 'german machines' pounding and running all over the pitch like heavy engines. so beautiful to see. I hope they can be back again. An amazing team truly

[@freedomisthegoal1]

they will brother.. they will. Greetings from germany!!

[@Delboy0]

@@freedomisthegoal1I don’t think they will because I think Germany don’t have the diversity to compete with France and England.

[@dustywarplane2456]

​@@Delboy0absolutely! While germany probably has the best midfield variety in the world, they just don't have any top-class or worldclass outer defenders and in these times where England, France, Brazil and a lot more countries have high-speed wingers, Germany just loses it at this spot. But surely there are a lot of other problems Germany has.

[@mobaumeister2732]

⁠@@dustywarplane2456Germany has never really had any superstar players that can dominate and single-handedly decide matches and have always relied on strong teamwork and organisation. That’s what’s really missing in this squad, team spirit

[@Heyjudee-q3l]

​​@@Delboy0they are much better than France and england in history and with proper manager currently as well

[@stefanpfahl9045]

30 years ago, in Germany school was finished at 1 pm, homework done at 3 and then most of us played football - either in a club or just in the street or on a nearby „Bolzplatz“. Today kids are exhausted after coming from school at 4 pm. What ads to this is, that within the schoolsystem football often is not highly respected and competitveness tends to be regarded as kind of harmful.

[@atzengruber]

Exactly

[@MultiYlin]

Tactical success of German coach training system might not help either since that their tactical genius makes up for the lack of skills in the players.

[@Daniboi971]

Now you just scout Africans to put in the team.

[@titowong378]

Wtf, coming from school at 4pm, what is the extra class????😢

[@Kessra]

While not being German but Austrian, we pretty much have the same infrastructure here. If you listen to stories of professional players from the past, they used to aquire their skills mostly in the "Käfig" where they were part of a mixed age team and young players, like at the age of 13-14 had to play against players at the age of 30-40. In order to "survive" this game they had to learn how to protect the ball and use their teammates to develop their game. In that process they got much more situation aware and confident in 1 on 1s as they knew from young age what they had to do. As a kid of the 80s, starting at the age of 4 with club footbal, my daily routine at the age of 6 was to get up, go to school, return home at 15:30 (yes, was at a full-day school) and then immediately go to training where at the age of 9 I trained with the Mini, C, B and A team till 21:00 5 days a week. When I returned I still had homework to do and at around 22:30 my day was done just to repeat the same routine the next day. At the age of 10/11, when I changed school, I didn't want to play football further. It used up all of my life and noone was there who said playing and training with 3-4 teams in that club is way to much. Later on I learned that two local teams of the Austrian Bundesliga invited me to their team/internat though the president of my club, which was also president of the Viennese youth footbal association, was against players leaving his club as he already struggled to find new talents to play for his teams. That's why I was playing as 9 year old child for the U18 team already. I still rembember tournaments we went to where trainers of the opposing team ran to the referee and told him that 4-5 players of our U10 team played already in the U18 squad and therefore demanded our removal from the teams roaster and yes, we were removed in like 3 of 5 cases even though we met all the requirements to play for the U10 team. Am I sad that I never played for one of the bigger clubs? No, actually. I was just happy that my mother finally allowed me to stay at home at the age of 11 as I didn't want to go to daily training sessions till late in the night. My father was disappointed for some years but then at one point actually understood why I couldn't handle it further. But I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone with such a story and therefore ask myself how many young kids are burned this way who actually could be potential players for the actual teams years later.

[@tashrif46]

Not the first time that this has happened. Remember during the 90s after the success of Italia 90 and Euro 96, everyone thought German football would dominate, only for early and disastrous exits in Euro 2000 and Euro 2004 to happen. Even during that time, people were saying Germany were not producing enough good players or are relying too much on aged veterans. I am sure Germany will recover. Same goes for Italy.

[@dwkickoff]

You think Nagelsmann is the right coach to bring them back on track, @tashrif46? Can he form a Euro 2024 contender?

[@tashrif46]

@dwkickoff It depends on what type of sydtem is implemented. I think Germany has wrongfully tried to copy the Spanish systems in the mid 2010s, when they didn't really need to. And the problem was compounded because Germany dont really have the type of players that Spain and France have. The German model has always been about organization and being resolute and then being very methodical in attack.

[@steve13191]

nope not the first time. the team with marco bode, torsten frings, bernd schneider frank baumann 2003-2004 were the worst team germany ever had

[@mazimazu8122]

Italy is dead

[@Ikhlashasib10]

@@tashrif46 guess who changed that for them? A guy named ozil, a techincal genius who germany have none of, maybe 1 in wirtz but he isn't close to ozil. Germans are simply not techinal gifted players by nature, they're either mixed or comes from a nationality that are known to be technical by nature with ozil being turkish too.

[@shivalimbu6346]

I am from Nepal and start supporting Germany from 2002 world cup at the time of Oliver Khan. I still miss old germany

[@praddumnvats6759]

​@MomPickMeUpImScared-st4wiforgive his typo

[@kestonsmith1354]

​@MomPickMeUpImScared-st4wi It's not a big deal, we know who he's talking about

[@thecrimsondragon9744]

Same, I fell in love with Germany in 2002 (though I was also impressed by Turkey and Brazil) and haven't looked back since. Through the highs and the lows, I stand behind Germany and will support them through and through. 🖤❤️💛 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

[@MatroX67]

What is missing in this analysis is that every country goes through cycles, yes Spain produces good players, but they didn't produce new Villa, Torres, Fabregas Xaxi & Co every two years. They are also going through a period without incredible players just look at their results past 2012.

[@miguelangeltoapantarocha2854]

They've just won the Uefa nations league..

[@slayersp930]

​@@miguelangeltoapantarocha2854after failing in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020, and 2022 😅

[@Timbone07]

@@slayersp930 Spain did not get knocked out of the group stages 2 world cups in a row. Stop cherry picking facts to suit your opinion

[@salamandra1456]

Your argument is partly true. However, spanish football was brilliant from 2008 and 2012. Before they were just another eternal candidate mostly because of their local football league fame, not the team itself. They got a good generation with two good coaches and that's it. Germany has been always a football power. Almost always at least quarter, semis of final. 4 WC say it all. But I think globalisation of football itself, in part, has undermined some football teams, but with good results in others, for instance France. France produce good physical players, and some of them are very skilled and export a lot of them. Similar is the case of Argentina nowadays. However, Argentina's winning I saw it like Spain, just a glimpse that happened. It's my opinion... cheers!

[@Timbone07]

@@salamandra1456 I think the Champions League is a good indicator but sadly most teams barely have local players now. Real Madrid fielded a team with zero Spanish players for the first time in over 60 years. Man United did the same recently

[@joelout]

These things always goes in cycles. I have no doubt that Germany, sooner rather than later, will be back in and around the top spot.

[@shreddedguy679]

nah its gonna be later, because just look at the pool of talent right now, its completely non existent, meanwhile spain, england and france are producing insanely talented players regularly

[@erichgerber251]

Later - but the point here is that this is not about the coach and that the issue lies deeper

[@lucasmed2351]

True. Also, they mentioned Spain and Portugal as examples of better youth training tactics but Spain hasn't had a great world cup in more than 12 years, longer than Germany, and Portugal only has one team in that list of young talents in Europe, and ranked among the last.

[@mememachine4766]

Its tru france also where shit now theyr the best team

[@scratchy996]

Honestly , Germany should invest more in the School system, not in football. The best educated, healthiest countries with the highest life quality are not football powers.

[@ProfDrDrN0]

The 2014 team was basically the endproduct of a project that started in 2006. As a national team it is most important to build confidence through familiarity which requires consistency, since you only play together sporadically. What löw and flick have failed to build after 2014 is a real team, because they kept on changing everything. I'm pretty sure that talentwise Germany has what it takes. It's the teamgeist that has to be built back up again. 2024 could be the beginning of a new identity, just like 2006...

[@erichgerber251]

You‘re just singing the same tune as everyone else. These guys just presented the facts of the root causes why this is NOT simply a team spirit issue

[@user-sr3sf]

This generation sucks. There are many overrated weak players like Süle, Goretzka , Kimmich, Gundogan, Brandt etc Good times when Germany had world class players like Schweinsteiger, Ballack Klose

[@jonathanm9993]

it's not really true. The criticism that was most often levelled against Löw towards the Backend of his career, was that he sacrificed meritocracy and favoured a specific group of people, which was effectively his approach to building up a new team that could develop familiarity. Germany has pretty concrete issues that are not some vague statements concerning "mentality". They are missing fullbacks and potentially a defensive midfielder with build-up competency (who could however hurt the internal hirarchies) and a world-class striker. The chance creation is sublime. They are just lacking somebody up front who finishes play and on or two different players that stabilize rest defense. It's as simple as that really. Maybe add in a coach who has experience and can light up players and you're done. The issues regarding the dfb might be true and all, but there isn't really any FA in the world where things run smoothly.

[@jonathanm9993]

the 2014 squad is also a weird comparison to make. They would have similar problems in todays game, as they were basically the same type of players. No fullbacks, except for Lahm who begrudgingly returned to the role and the only striker was Klose who at the time was almost 40 and conceeded a lot of games to false 9 Götze. We didn't even have wingers lol. The game has simply changed. You couldn't beat a low block these days using an attacking four of müller götze özil and kroos

[@ramikar91]

​@@user-sr3sfdon't attack my bae Kimmich

[@svenkuenzel8366]

I was youth coach in a small town in Germany. One of the main problems is that talents are sorted out too fast. In Germany we have special scouting days at different locations to which you can send talented players for 1 training and where scouts or major football clubs, or also only provisional clubs playing a couple of leagues higher, try to,pick new talent. As a coach you can send your talents there but a player can also chose on his own to present himself. I have seen and coached many very talented players at the age between 9-14. part of the problem starts there, that most clubs and scouts only seem to be interested in players under 11. older players can’t be „formed“ anymore. So a big portion of players is sorted out there already because of age. The second thing is, that the players are judged by that 1 training session, meaning if the player doesn’t perform at the spot he or she is out. Everyone is forgetting that we are talking about children that will be nervous, might have a bad day etc. Because of this I have seen very complete players that have all abilities, (strong in one on one, great oversight and understanding of the game, good scorers, good defending abilities) being sorted out. It would be much better if they would be watched over several weeks of training to see their abilities. The nervousness will be gone as it becomes normal to go to the „special“ training, they will not have a bad day every time, and so forth. After having seen a player at several trainings a scout can make a solid decision whether a player is a talent or ready to go to the next level. But not based on one 2-3 hour training. Finally a scout once said to me: „you know, we are not looking for players that are good in dribbling or have good oversight of the game. We are looking for players that are good in body contact, that are robust and that don’t mind to go where it hurts on a one on one. The passing, the dribbling we can teach them in the coming years“. I guess that says it all and to me it is very clear why German football can’t find the right talent.

[@footballguy002]

Will these good days comeback again? Plz say your thinkings... What is DFB thinking? Or they are careless about the national team failure?

[@St99785]

I remember my usa vs Germany in the 2014 world cup group stage. It was the most impressive thing I've seen. The way they passed, always making the right decisions, never losing possession of the ball. They had stars, but the biggest star was the strength of their weakest links. I hope they can reinvent themselves again, because their style is uniquely amazing to watch.

[@WritingGeekNL]

As a Dutch man... this is a very exciting time. :) I'm merely kidding of course, I'm actually quite sad to see Germany being this bad. Those matches between our countries are always some of the best and most emotional to watch.

[@CorrSave]

I agree. That's the good spirit. A bit of rivalry, but all in good fun. You seem like the type of person I would enjoy to watch a match with over a few beers.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

Sind die Niederlande überhaupt gut im fussball heutzutage?

[@CorrSave]

@@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701 Die Ergebnisse sind durchwachsen, aber die Spieler nach wie vor Klasse. Unterschätzen sollte man sie niemals.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

@@CorrSave Ok danke

[@WritingGeekNL]

@@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701 Right now? Probably Top 8 in Europe. We didn't qualify in 2016 and 2018, but right now we qualified three times in a row again. Our problem is that our philosophy doesn't allign with the generation we currently have. A lot of quality in the defensive line and physical aspects, but not in the attacking or technical skills. Pretty much a team more in line with Germany/Italy, instead of Netherlands/Spain. It is why Van Gaal was the only manager to really have success in recent years. Though with disgust from me and the Dutch public in general, we absolutely hated our 'cowardly' counter football. Similar problem Germany is facing now with too many players in Attack or Attacking Midfield positions (except a striker*). So much so that Havertz played left back? 🤣 I actually hoped that Germany - Netherlands would be the opening match for the upcoming Euros, but well, I hope to meet you guys in another phase of the tournament... after we get beaten up by France millionth in this decade. ✌🏻

[@gusmartinez2344]

I think you already have the answer on Klopp's football philosophy. Not obsessed on tiki/taka possession, having great talent and creativity at the front (which Germany has) yet athleticism, courage and strong win mentality

[@asm7406]

Tiki taka and possession game with talented, disciplined players with a winning mentality who are also creative is wonderful. Like Spain, Barcelona, Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton, even Germany and the Bundesliga used the Barcelona philosophy.

[@benjamineer3045]

Gegenpressing ist der beste Spielmacher - Counterpressing is the best playmaker, if we implement that on a national level as the default, german teams will be a lot stronger against superior teams. And you can develop from there, once everyone has counterpressing down to the core, you can start introducing more proactive things (as Klopp and Tuchel did as well), but it a strong base to start from and will make you hard to play against no matter what. And I think it is a uniquely german idea that is being successfully exported even now. The problem is for a national team to be good at counterpressing is really hard, since they usually play in different clubs and no much in the same team. In Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool it took Klopp multiple years to get this to a level were it became lethal. So, you need a lot of practice, but if we decide make it the main entry point and every player on every position learn the principle it would be a massive improvement.

[@dasaggropop1244]

i think almost everyone wants kloppo to manage the national team, but it seems neither he nor lfc are done with each other yet

[@benjamineer3045]

@@dasaggropop1244 as i said in my reply, for Klopps ideas to work, they need to be deeply ingrained into the player over a longer amount of time, before the truly work. I don't think if you just get him to coach the national team a miracle would happen and they would play like peak Dortmund or Liverpool. His philosophy as a whole needs to be adopted in the youth system and practiced in the clubs across the board, even if it is just the smallest common denominator (you can build on it), for it to work...it does not even be implemented by him himself. If every player knows how to play this style, a head coach also know what to build upon. It is just like the Netherland had their Vootball total, that every player knew how to play or the spanish tiki taka that was so deeply present in the players that you could play it with the national team

[@space5482]

The trick is to know when to take a shot at the goal and not too much tiki taka

[@franciscolobo8919]

Im from Honduras 🇭🇳🇭🇳, and Im a Fan of the Germany National Team since 2002 ❤ when I was 11 years old, they gave the best WC match ever (7-1 to Brazil), so sad to watch them fall in this last 6 years 😢, I wish they can comeback Strong again in no so much time 🙏

[@CitizenLUL]

Forgets to mention that German U17 won the European championship 2023.

[@aidanaalok9459]

World Cup also in December

[@joboee]

I also think with the rise of internet availability, the knowledge cap between nations/teams have shrunk considerably. It is much easier to gather data and discover talent now than in previous generations.

[@PiratesRock]

That's a good point actually. Such as how easier it is to find players with eligible ancestry through their parents or grandparents, so kids who grew up playing in Western Europe find themselves playing for a national team from Africa or Eastern Europe.

[@Janitoro458]

Before the age of internet German coaches and analysts have been all over the world developing football in other nations and they still do that to this day. You’re acting like other nations such as Germany were trying to hide football knowledge while in fact they did spread and share it all over the world( and that ever since football been a thing in Germany btw).

[@joboee]

@@Janitoro458I never said anything about hiding, all I said is that it is much easier (and cheaper) to obtain this information than in years past

[@asm7406]

​​@@Janitoro458Like the Argentine, Uruguayan, Brazilian, Spanish, English, Italian and Dutch coaches did when expanding their football knowledge to other nations.

[@Janitoro458]

@@asm7406 To a much lesser degree, yes. But that’s exactly what I‘ve said. So why is that your response?

[@aashish1703]

I think the German team needs to rediscover their mentality to never give up. I've been watching German football for the past 30 yrs and never saw the world's best players. Still they were the best team. They worked as parts of the giant machine. That efficiency/robustness/attitude is missing from this team. Also I agree with the analysis that the current generation is missing a characteristic leader which German teams have always had.

[@scratchy996]

It's obvious that the German youth have lost interest in football. They play it as kids and then move on to something else. I think Germany should accept that and focus on improving education in their country.

[@manzanasrojas6984]

@@scratchy996 100% These young german talents lose interest in their career as soon as they get a taste of "real life" pleasures they can have with the money they earned as a footballer. Its so much more chill enjoying your life with a hot gf, playing fifa on the weekends, streaming you playing, going on vacation and doing social media, meeting youtube "stars" you grew up watching who now wanna be your friends to extend their clout etc etc ( not personally, but for them ). You can see it with talents like Jadon Sancho, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, etc etc - they get hyped early on, have pressure on them, then find pleasures to relief that stress in other things and then stagnate in their football development.

[@randyborstol2491]

@@scratchy996 what is the point of German national team anymore? The identity has been lost. When you see players like Ozil and Gundogan use the German team to help their careers when their hearts are with Turkey - this is wrong. Sane could have played for France or Cameroon. They do not have passion for Germany. They are not Germans. I would rather German players like Fullkrug play even if they are not world class. A German team full of proud Germans. It will not be allowed! I am also disappointed at older players and administrators like Hoeness, Rummenigge and Kahn etc who do nothing for young GERMANS. Would they have got the same chance in today's game?

[@Ikarus-wings]

One of the reasonably-pointed comments.@manzanasrojas6984

[@Vickzq]

They sold out to virtue signalling and woke statements... more important than the sport...

[@ConstantineJoseph]

Germany is always known for their superstar strikers. From the legend Gerd Muller to Karl Heinz Rummeneige. Then we have Rudi Voeller and Juergen Klinsmann, two extremely deadly forwards. Oliver Bierhoff followed suit and then we have Miroslav Klose. Right now there isn’t a worthy successor to Klose and that is where Germany is suffering from being clinical in front of goal. Doesn’t matter if you have a world class midfield and world class Defense. A superstar number 9 makes or breaks a team

[@sergeshakhov8582]

100% man, that's what i was about to say, no striker, they have mids, wingers but no good striker

[@AlexEternalChamp]

Lmao no A strong midfield to with rock solid defende and a solid keeper can more than make up for not having a striker You want proof? Check out real madrid who currently isnt using a single striker in the team and is doing great. You fifa boys should wake the fk up cuz real football is different than fifa rofl Not to mention that if you look at the french national team, which is solid af, their striker is by no means world class but the players around giroud are so good it doesnt matter he is not world class no 9 but you kids probably believe mbappe is a striker lmao

[@sabrevni9866]

Karl Heinz Rummeneige went from being a good striker to having a big mouth in his displeasure of Ozil

[@Nr4747]

Lack of leadership is another huge problem in German football. We have very talented players like Toni Kroos who can play very well on the pitch but refuse to take any leadership responsibility. In the past, the strong German team between 2010-2014 had several leaders like Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Neuer, Müller - players who would shoulder the responsibility for success and defeats and would demand for others to also hold themselves responsible.

[@Aoughi]

Don't touch Toni kroos please He was a big leader by example in 2014 and after that so wrongfully blamed for the bad games that he left much too early. He played in real for so many years after 2014 and won trophy after trophy. Too bad the German press expected him to play like a number 10 and killed his desire to play for Germany

[@saileshmainali5521]

I am from nepal, a small nation from asia. I have been fan of Germany from 2010, first time i actually watched all of the games in world cup. I remember being the most dominant team in all of the world whom everyone were afraid of facing to a team thats a joke these days. And i am mad. We lack a top class number 9 , not to count every position we lack on. We have been falling behind every position.

[@dwkickoff]

You think new coach Nagelsmann can turn things around, @saileshmainali5521! Greetings to Nepal 🇳🇵

[@rajnishsasmal180]

​@@dwkickoffyes ofcourse. Julian Nagelsmann will turn around the German football.

[@sanji1259]

haha, europeans know where nepal is :D kinda "funny" that you feel like pointing it out .

[@saileshmainali5521]

​@Euro-GaNationalist-hv1onwell we don't play in world cup do we ? I am a fan of nepali football aswell, following nepali league as well ( yes we have one ) but we still have 2nd country when we watch world cup, because we have never been there and also we are not a great footballing nation. We also support several clubs from other nations, we buy jersey and watch foreign leagues because football is just better there. Football is a worldwide game.

[@saileshmainali5521]

​​@@sanji1259idk man. Lots of them think we are part of india. 😂 I guess their Education on geography is not as good as their football.

[@pierregeiger1]

You never underestimate Germans. We are fighters and we love victories. We are rebuilders and we don't go under.

[@TherealJeepersCreepers]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

[@randyborstol2491]

correct- the problem is the national team and the Bundesliga clubs have very few GERMANS

[@danielneubauer3477]

You mean we WERE. We have finished in football.

[@lazyhunk2]

Trans rights and climate are more important than Football. Klimakleber are new superstars of Germany.

[@merlinbroich3530]

wow so many german national coaches and political scientists here in the comments... please educate yourself, before writing bad translated nonsense :)

[@mipmipmooeep]

Großartige Doku. Ich denke der Blick auf Fußball hat sich geändert. Heute schaut man Fußball wegen den Spielern, früher wegen dem Team. Und oft geraten eben die Offensivspieler in die Highlights. Wenn ich mir unsere Nationalmannschaft anschaue, sehe ich wenig Willen, wenn es mal nicht läuft. Was ich aber auch sehr gefährlich finde ist um Kinder eine solche Blase aufzubauen. Und ehrlich gesagt hätte ich wohl keine 20 Jahre Fußball gespielt, wenn ich ständig 2 gegen 2 hätte spielen müssen. Ich war schwach im Abschluss. Habe es aber geliebt das Spiel zu lesen & zu passen. In einem solchen Extremszenario sehe ich auch 1 bis 2 Spieler, die unter solchen Bedingungen aufhören zu spielen, ich hätte es sicher getan.

[@gustavopacheco8239]

What the Union Berlin kid's coach said about more time with the ball (4 min), smaller pitch and everything is just like we have here in Brazil, kids play Futsal (indoor soccer) their whole youth, they have more touches, they think faster because the pitch is small. That's what made us great for so many years. Now we're struggling a lot (as you guys could prove it).

[@hailyrizzo5428]

After Yamal's debut for Spain, they published the names of the 5 youngest players to wear Spanish colors. 4 of the 5 were from Barcelona.

[@JuppG9490]

Yes, but I think they don`t do them always a favour to put them in the squad that early. Krkic, El Haddadi and Ansu Fati are just a few examples for players, who were nominated too early and struggled later in their career. Yamal played only 5 professional matches in his "career" when he got nominated for Spain, in my opinion it`s dangerous because not every young player can handle the hype.

[@michaeluzoho5838]

In my opinion, Germany is still a top nation going through a lean spell. Not all hope is lost tho, you guys shoukd build the next great German team around Wirtz, and Musiala. Also, Moukoko is coming through as well. He's the only no 9 that I've heard is coming through. Also, street football is important...everywhere. When i was growing up, street football was it. It helps boost individuality and how to get out of tight situations by thinking on the spot....basically football intelligence. The issue with football now is that, almost everything is robotic..not many artists or mavericks remain in the game anymore. It's always a system, no freedom whatsoever. Managers are out here stifling creativity and freedom to express oneself.

[@dwkickoff]

Well explained, Michael. Thanks for your message. Where did you grow up and how was the game taught there?

[@Hartley_Hare]

@@dwkickoff I'm a Notts County supporter from lowly League Two in England. It seems to me that your national team (and I've always liked them, but have to keep that quiet) is misfiring, but what you do well is to keep your football close to the supporters. The 50+1 rule means that your top tier won't ever be as bloated or removed from reality as ours and, when I look at the Premier League and the Championship, all I think is that I don't want my club to play there as it's so unhealthy and distorted. Let other leagues lose their integrity, let other clubs accept blood money from Qatar and Dubai, but please don't change.

[@michaeluzoho5838]

@@dwkickoff I was born and raised in Nigeria. You needed to have flair, lots of flair and skill, scoring goals(being the main man), and then when you get older, there was importance put in physicals....hence why Nigeria's best players over the years were either strikers, wingers, and attacking midfielders. For example, when I play football, I'm a forward. (Striker, LW, RW, and sometime a 10)...don't play the other positions tho.

[@dwkickoff]

The Super Eagles!!! Jay-Jay Okocha and Sunday Oliseh here in Germany, those were the days ;) and what about your current national team? Looking quite promising on paper, good players. When will we get to see them going far at a World Cup?

[@michaeluzoho5838]

@@dwkickoff To be honest, I'm not sure....if we somehow produce 2 or 3 good midfielders, we'll be onto something, cos we are stacked up front, it's crazy.

[@ayushmankar4100]

Though I am a fan of Italy but still Germany is a football superpower now also who has given many legendary players like Tony Kroos , Thomas Muller etc . I am a big Byren Munchen fan . Love you Germany from India . 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

[@tankgod888]

U missed out legendary Klose 😅

[@ayushmankar4100]

@@tankgod888 Who is he ?

[@olimess1125]

miroslav klose @@ayushmankar4100

[@vinniechan]

I felt that it's a case of the higher you rise the further you fall It took Germany a generation to reach the top of the world in 2014 and it's going to take another generation to get there

[@gameburn178]

I am Canadian. We have always admired German training and character: teams that wouldn't quit, players that wouldn't tire. And they have superb coaches. Also, a lot of 2-way players, a lot of natural defenders. The only thing I notice is a shortage of pace on the flanks and the absence of depth at the striker position. Not sure how to fix that, except with an emphasis on developing individual skills.... maybe selecting different types of players at an early age (more athletic, more selfish, maybe?)

[@corE452]

Sane, Gnabry, Musiala not enough pace?

[@WURO98]

​@corE452 Nope, not enough pace. Not if you compare with other nations' wingers like Mbappe, Muani, Dembele, Coman, etc, on the French side or Sterling, Saka, etc, on the English team and so on.

[@corE452]

@@WURO98 do you even know what youre talking about? Sane top pace of 35,82 vs Coman 34,97 - only Mbappe is outstanding in this group. And germany won the last game against france. Bayern Munich destroyed PSG in their last games. We dont have a problem of pace, its more a problem of an attitude. There allways will be this fight against players of bayern vs dortmund. And as long as they have this internal fight they will play shit.

[@KygoCalvinHarris-xu4kv]

Canada is embarrassing at football

[@MrSchallundrauch]

This one is absolutley right. Cause even if you count in Sane and Gnabry, Germany cannot make use of that strength often. The game is just too slow these days, no one wants to take a risk so there might not be too many errors in total - but if there is an error it's a goal. This happens way too often. And on top, players like gnabry might not be troublesome players but they also lack the winning spirit. Not everyone has to be an Oliver Kahn - still not everyone has to be an apathic hide-away.

[@samkitty5894]

Here's my take on this...I am Croatian. I also always loved how Germany played for decades...tough, constant pressure, great fitness, great team spirit. All that is now gone. German players playing on national team look like they are in practice. Each player thinks he's better than the others. No pride for your country... Germany has more registered football players than Croatia has population. Yet Croatia's national football team was 3rd in the world in 1998, 2nd in the world in 2018, 3rd in the world in 2022, and 2nd in the Nations cup in 2023. How is this possible? Well, for one, Croatia's players will die on the field playing for their country. They sing their national anthem proudly and loudly...no one is taking a knee for some personal reason... They know they represent their country to the world, and they don't want to fail. How do you install such a team spirit? I wish I had the answer...It appears the political correctness, inclusivity, WOKE and LGBT killed it. We are more concerned about hurting someone's feelings than creating tough, independent, skilled, and unique football players.

[@volkerr.]

Absolutely. Du hast sowas von recht!!!😢

[@JuppG9490]

Best comment so far. I am from Germany and I have been 5 times to Croatia. I absolutely love your country, so I like to see them play at great tournaments and how they fight on the pitch like Germany in earlier years, it`s very similar. Everywhere you go in Croatia, you feel that people over there are proud of their country. They are also not that political correct and not as complicated as many germans, but also they have strong charakters what I also appreciate. German society, politics, media and political correctness destroys so much in our country, no wonder there are so many crises and problems in Germany.

[@thomaskruck4474]

"It appears the political correctness, inclusivity, WOKE and LGBT killed it." I don't think it is like that. I would like to point out what they said in the video: young talents are pampered 24/7. Helicopter parents care for everything, and then finally these kids - among many others - are not used to solve problems, to overcome difficulties. How to you develop the right mindset? The political stuff caused a damage on the team in Qatar, yes, but I doubt that they lost against Japan because of that. It was a disaster, and they could not recover from it.

[@celtaclassroom7082]

@@thomaskruck4474 Do you think young talents aren't 'spoiled' in other major countries or that they don't have expensive support programs there, video analysis, shuttle buses to training? Of course they do. So we have to look elsewhere for the roots of the specific German malaise - and when we do, we see malaise in all aspects of life here, not only in football. The same things people are lamenting in football are evident elsewhere: lack of strong characters, lack of a collective spirit, replacement of Germans with imported mercenary labor, and, at the heart of everything, a lack of genuine pride in the country, its people and its culture.

[@hyperulf]

Woke and LGBT killed it, yeah that must be it lol. How freaking numb minded can you be to seriously offer minority rights as the reason for bad football results.

[@bobbymoin4182]

Have to say this is a really good documentary/video as someone who follows Germany a lot. Great👍

[@dwkickoff]

Thank you very much, bobby! Much appreciated.

[@gilfernando7623]

Germany will not have a ballon' dor player for a while but their national team may come back and start winning again!

[@SchmavidSchmobb]

This is a fantastic video. Very educational and insightful. Nice work!

[@dwkickoff]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@andrizain894]

I think the concern of the lack of a quality number 9 upfront for Germany is valid. Just look at their team, nowadays Germany often put Havertz upfront, who I think is played out of his natural position. Put a real striker upfront then ask Kroos, Muller, Sane and co. to deliver nice passes and boom goals will happen.

[@sabrevni9866]

as they lack a quality up front, their defense has been continually poor and have been unable to replicate another philip lahm

[@skntvar]

"As we assess and draw inspiration from youth development systems in other nations, it's imperative to consider not just the systems themselves but also delve into the coaching aspects, including contract structures. Notably, in certain countries, even coaches working with U9-U10 age groups are on full-time contracts ( coaching ). The intention here isn't to seek excessive benefits but rather to emphasize the importance of a balanced approach. It's about ensuring coaches have the stability and commitment to provide consistent and high-quality coaching, ultimately benefiting the growth and potential of young athletes."

[@ASevBVB09]

When it comes to football, it seems that germans don't deal very well with success. After winning the EURO 1996 we had a massive crisis and needed important changes that later led to winning the WC 2014. Now we are arguably in an even bigger crisis, because after 2014 the people in charge were too busy enjoying the limelight instead of working hard. The next 10-15 years will be tough, our youth teams are an absolute joke!

[@dwkickoff]

Good analysis!

[@shreddedguy679]

yup, remember once a upon a time when english youth footballers couldnt hold a candle to the german youth, fast forward modern day players like jude bellingham and jadon sancho walked into the dortmund line ups and became the main men, the problem with german youth academies was summed up in that game when niko schulz misplaces a pass and bellingham loses his mind at him, on camera we are hearing an english player in the bundesliga tell a german player 'every time u cant pass u are sh*t' and thinking damn, they are speaking like this to german players.. if you look at the national team and you see musiala with amazing close control and dribbling abilities, he is the only one at that age, that guy was developed 100% in the UK and shows how good the shift from pass and move tactics to allowing them to dribble and decision make has made to english football..sure you have sane and gnabry but again, where did those guys learn to dribble like that, in england... this guy mathys tel id never heard of heard until the end of last season, but this kid is so good, and hes 18, where is the bavarian youth player in that position why has some random kid from france just been brought over and into the starting line up and showing he is brilliant, it tells me german football has fallen down really far and whilst im sure the german efficiency will prevail long term you will fix it, its gonna take a long time while england, spain and france just continue to produce world class players on a seasonly basis

[@hans8372]

Germany just won the U17 european championhip btw. Total joke, I know!

[@merlinbroich3530]

@@hans8372 he's a BVB Fan, so there is nothing else to expect from him than a depressed point of view into the future and lacking knowledge about youthfull talents (in 10 years he will notice, BVB will buy all the 'failed talents' for way to much money)

[@terrootti]

I see on overrealiance on the magic/artistic/creative side of the game. Although it's very nice to watch and makes for great compilations (we all grew up watching the "joga bonito" ad campain) but what bring succes on the national level is (and has always been) the system. Like the Americans love to say "offense sell tickets but defense wins champioship". If you over rely on "creativity" aspect of it you get teams like the current Brazil: fun to watch, extraordinary against lesse sides but always struggle against sides with structure and decent technical ability.

[@person9735]

In Germany it's the opposite though, they need individuals who can decide the outcome of the game on their own when their team can't do anything. Germany lacks that and only relies on the system with little to no individuality

[@Stego1819]

@@person9735 How does the team lack that? Sane, Gnabry, Musiala, Kimmich etc. are all players with great technique and individual skill. The problem lies in not having good fullbacks, strikers or a defensively minded defensive midfielder.

[@person9735]

@@Stego1819 Yeah, the team needs quality players but they also need the will to decide the game, like in the days of Lahm, Klose and Schweinsteiger

[@mustafanaser9789]

When I played football in a German youth team, players often were not allowed to have more than 2 contacts to the ball. It was awful

[@samkitty5894]

You can talk about the youth development all you want. Any child can be taught to juggle the ball, to trap and pass, to shoot. How to move on the field without the ball and with the ball. There are no secrets here. The most important attribute a young played needs can not be taught. It has to be learned, with exposure and experience. Play many games, win or lose...don't dwell on losses or wins. Learn from them and go on. Always play your position the best you can. Be respectful and never give up. I played this game for 60 years and I coached youth teams for 45. I would take a team with 0:15 record and make the following season successful. I was never too strict. I always wanted my teams to win, but more importantly, to have fun. After all, this is football game...

[@edessarc]

I think what's mentioned in the video is partly true -Players need more exposure with the ball no matter if they are defenders or strikers. You can see that without dribbling skills teams are having hard times to attack or make sudden attacks.

[@dwkickoff]

Very crucial in modern football, indeed. 💯 Many teams, especially at the highest level, hugely rely on spectacular wingers to tear up defence

[@Chrisasang]

In Africa, most kids train themselves in the early ages by always playing among themselves in 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 formats with very small goals almost on a daily basis. This not only develops high competitiveness within these kids but also develops rapid decision making in them. They become incredible dribblers and great individual leaders on the pitch long before they even step a foot into a proper football pitch.

[@dwkickoff]

💪💯🔥

[@stevencooke1027]

Also Canadian, and I also have long thought that while Germany might not have had the absolute best players, it usually had the most cohesive teams. So many players would perform at their absolute best when they put on their Mannschaft shirt. But that said, they did have players of the calibre of Lahm, Ballack, Neuer, Ozil etc. I do think they miss having a number 9. The moment Klose retired they lost that--with apologies to the very good Gomez. They also lost the incredible Lahm and the solid Mertesacker. I still can't imagine Germany remaining a team who goes out in the group stages of major tournaments. Too much talent, football culture and high standards for this to stay as it is.

[@midihenry]

As someone who moved to Germany and has been playing amateur football here for the past 6 years, I can see the difference in the way football is played here. Too much emphasis is put on tactics even in lower leagues, so it's hard for players to be creative during the game. It's even discouraged sometimes. As a player, you're more like a cog in a machine. You can only rarely express yourself with your individual style of play during the game since you don't have that much freedom. That hinders creativity especially for younger players. That is still fine for producing very tactically disciplined players, but it makes it much harder to produce players who can make the difference.

[@nuggz720]

Style of play has also hurt German football - the transitional nature of the Bundesliga doesn't flow naturally to the more cagey/defensive/pragmatic style of international fixtures

[@dwkickoff]

Does that also apply to France and other nations, nuggz?

[@nuggz720]

@@dwkickoff The Bundesliga is the most end-to-end of all of the top 5 leagues. France seems to play a bit slower in build up in Ligu 1. I think France has chemistry problems more than a stylistic issues IMO. In Italy they are playing some of the best football i have ever seen in Serie A, but that team seems to struggle in the build up especially against quicker build up teams. Would like to know your thoughts too?

[@Blaze07091]

German football should focus more in football and less in politics. Only then they can revive its former glory.

[@danielreiser2051]

German teams were always the best when no one really expected something of them or when there was much more to win than to loose. Actually there is this switching point from high expectation to no expactations. Think they will be better again next year

[@randyborstol2491]

no more GERMAN teams though. Full with foreign players.

[@marcneef795]

True, but having a coach with average understanding of modern football would also be a plus.

[@lucas82]

As a Dutchman I am almost obliged to hate the Mannschaft because of 1974 and 1990 but I can't help but admire their fighting spirit. They weren't the better footballers but they had the better mentality.

[@lukasg.2939]

U probably werent even alive then😂

[@SkyHighemanuel]

🇩🇪 🇩🇪 Germany from Canada here. You've always inspired me with your tiki-taka, ball possession control, and non-mercy goal scoring( unforgettable 7-1 ✌️ Brazil trash, record-breaking goal scoring from Miroslav Klose 😅😅). Having said that, it will always devastate me when this rich history football country fails in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. Hope you will come back from this mistake and show us your unrelenting goal-scoring against the teams I always dislike like Argentina and Brazil.

[@jackmellor5536]

Didn't Karl Heinz Rummenigge win the BallonDor twice?

[@dwkickoff]

Oups, you're right, Jack. Thanks for the heads up. We were rather looking at the 90s when football became a business and individual awards became more of a thing. Also they changed the name of it a few times and at some point it became an award for the best footballer in the world (not just from Europe). We've corrected the mistake.

[@Janitoro458]

Leave it to DW Kick Off to create misinformation and a misconception about German football 😂😂 Seems like a bunch of haters would work for them.

[@Janitoro458]

@@dwkickoffThe name of the Ballon D‘Or was not changed a few times. Only once to FIFA Ballon D‘Or and then back to normal. Also back when Rummennigge, Gerd Mueller and Beckenbauer win their Ballon D‘Or there was no footballer outside of Europe who could have competed with them for that trophy.

[@charlietwotimes]

The irony of Germany being full of foreigners.. I realise that's obviously a difficult + politicised subject especially in Germany but its a conversation that needs to be had, sensibly. If you fill your teams with foreign players there's nowhere for your own kids to go. Overcompensating for the past has led to failures in the present.

[@starwave8228]

Germany used to be feared by England until the 5-1 defeat. Germany just do not have that Fear Factor about them anymore & the competition is just harder now, There are more new countries that have formed & grown within the sport & now have they good Football teams. Even America & Canada are now getting good at Football.

[@redchampion]

So because countries are getting better germany can't be good anymore😂😂

[@insanebe1]

come on, teams need to make the quarter-finals at least before you can say they are getting good.

[@jonathanalexandergreen305]

Germany put 4 past England in the euros, and then became world champions. 😃

[@user-sr3sf]

@@redchampion no, it is Germany who is getting worse.

[@redchampion]

@@user-sr3sf no we're not lmao

[@CubaSmileSauce]

Thank you for your efforts, great informative video

[@dwkickoff]

Thank you, Cuba! Spread the word…

[@bigwave7207]

Cool video. Well researched and thoughtful. It’s a low point for Germany but we will get it back.

[@shreddedguy679]

gonna be a long time, england is rising rapidly

[@jonathanalexandergreen305]

​@@shreddedguy679hmmm English football is at a high point granted. Let's just see if it can be successful. Spain France Germany Italy are giants unlike England.

[@OlafderPirat]

Love to watch this very well made documentary and then randomly see Leo who I went to school with.

[@dwkickoff]

Nice one! 🤝

[@MohamedHassan-yt6wj]

We need old germany national team back 😢😢

[@dwkickoff]

Which old one do you mean, Mohamed? Which one was your fav? 1954, 1974, 1990 or 2014?

[@Frosty4326]

Nah we don't

[@dwkickoff]

@Frosty4326 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@wokeaf1337]

I dont, the old german national team knew how to win but couldnt play atractive football, it was just defending then shot the ball forward and then praying that someone somehow gets to the ball and scores a lucky goal and win games with 1:0

[@Red_Tsar]

​@@dwkickoff As a Brazilian, 2014. Yes we have trauma from am certain match but I think that was peak Germany...

[@SpencerLowe-kg4rg]

As a Canadian, I always admired Germany since 2008 as a kid and because of them I loved watching football. No matter how much hate the team gets or how much they fall. I will always stand by Die Mannschaft. On a personal level 2014 was the greatest year of my life. Adding in the world cup win for Germany.

[@clintpargmann4953]

It seems like many European teams, they have become enamored with fielding the best 11 soccer players, rather the 11 that play best as a unit. This is an American style of putting teams together, because American sports function as a collection of individuals with very limited roles at each position. This sport doesn't function that way. It has to constantly flow. German football used to emphasize operating as a system, but now it is teams like Japan that focus on this, which is why they play better than the sum of their parts.

[@Jk98654]

The best American teams are teams!! You can’t win championships without a team mentality.

[@ronnyk6251]

Wow, this opinion so dumb! If i look at the american sports it seems to me like human trafficking from the owners and a relentless money mercenary mindset from the players to an extreme degree. Especially in the NBA which i follow the most. The national Team just consists of the biggest egos of the best players. Thats it. (The most european TEAM are the San Antonio Spurs under Pop. And they are not very liked and considered "boring" without the "Superstar" contracts for mediocre players) This is another level and if you deny that you are really delusional.... ;)

[@yoseesteve9055]

Very poor analysis of American sports. They very much rely on specialist roles, and in many cases, more so than in football (bar the goalie). Why do you think there's often a major disparity in player size between different positions?

[@clintpargmann4953]

@@yoseesteve9055 Actually, I agree, and that’s what I’m talking about. The more specialized the role, as in American football, the less often you have to select for things other than the pure athleticism that suits the position. They just don’t have a lot to think about. Obviously roles like QB and Center benefit from things like high intelligence, but even at the highest levels, you see most other positions populated by the best pure athletes that fit that role. In International football/footie/futbol you can’t do that and expect to succeed nowadays. Being a great athlete is a definite plus, but having high intelligence is just as important. Look at Mueller. He’s been successful for a long time, primarily, because his game intelligence is just off the charts. If Germany believes it’s lack of success is due to them not developing enough flashy players, then teams that focus on elevating the best players that can function as a unit will continue to have more success. If you have a highly intelligent population, focus your youth programs around complex football. Once you identify the players that can successfully rise through that, then you end up with a team that is still athletically-skilled, but can actually execute that brainy brand of football that Germany used to do so well. National teams just don’t get enough time together. Sure, throwing a bunch of great athletes out there is a great way to be relatively successful, but consistent greatness requires something different.

[@shawklan27]

​@@Jk98654exactly

[@DanielMckenna-vd1it]

Germany should be number 1. They must produce new players that have talent. It was the German system for Years that got to many finals. Franz Beckenbauer, Gerard Muller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Jurgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthaus, Oliver Kahn, Paul Breitner, and others.

[@antiChinazi]

not even number one in Europe lol

[@chaosjoerg9811]

To be fair, the 2014 world cup team might have been very well the best players in the world at that time. Perhaps they don't have the same reputation as some others but I mean.. There is Schweinsteiger in the defensive midfield and you see him take 10, 20, 30 almost every ball from the opponent player and create a counter whenever he gets close to the ball. Have ever seen any other player do that? I think that was pretty unique. Then there is Oezil and his absurd understanding of openings and where to pass. On the right flank we have Mueller who is... pretty famous. And on defense we have Lahm, who is the team captain. Probably for a reason. Then Manuel Neuer as goalkeeper. The one or other person might have heard of him and his ball affinity. The striker Klose should at least be good to distract his opponents with his most world cup goals in history. They had one player who didn't stand out. That was Shkodran Mustafi. He was a weak spot, but whenever this guy got injured or subbed, there were just 11 stars on the pitch and they did exceptionally well. I don't see any of this type of quality today.

[@tricycle7274]

No matter what criticism you throw at German Football, nothing irritates the footballing world more than the Italian style. Anti-football and cattenacccio. Great report, most skilled players have had upbringing in futsal - 4 outfield players and a skilled keeper. It’s a combination of styles and definitely nurturing the players’ natural ability. Hard to believe it’s taking them this long to figure it out.

[@kingkangageo]

They will bounce back eventually, it’s like waves, they come and go, it never remains in one state forever…

[@schnitzelfilmmaker1130]

Need to be more dynamic with a mixture of physicality and decision-making + creativity. Players like Felix Nmecha (who was trained in England) are a good model for the midfield. Whether intentional or not the 2005-2008 talents (after that I have no information yet), even the 2004s are the right types and are at the top of youth production. Either Germany got incredibly lucky there or something already changed. Look at players like Gruda (having Moukoko was more lucky for anyone familiar with his story) or Justin Diehl who has been held back by some internal club reasons. Or Pavlovic at Bayern. Even some of the 2002-born or 2003-born talents (outside the obvious duo) are of the right type for the new era of football.

[@shreddedguy679]

this is why England has even overtaken Germany, we had this mentality of pass and move, burt eventually, we have learned to copy to portugal, spain and france and look at the result, we have players like Phil Foden, Saka, Bellingham, these young guys are better than any young player in Germany, and looking at how good Mathys Tel is for Bayern...its clear grassroots football in germany needs an overhaul

[@dwkickoff]

Spot on! 💯🇩🇪

[@LTF2030]

Wait, what england won in last years?

[@orang_lama]

@@LTF2030 Women's Euro 2022 😂

[@LTF2030]

@@orang_lama So? The womans german team won the olympics 2016

[@rogersimoes8777]

This channel is so good. Love it.

[@glennchua9043]

As a Germany football fan since the 70's, i certainly hope that they make a strongly come back soon. Any tournaments without Germany will be a disaster or even 1st round stage. I am a big believer they will be back soon, perhaps after next year euro 2024

[@dwkickoff]

Do you believe in new coach Nagelsmann, glennchua9043?

[@glennchua9043]

@@dwkickoff To be honest I don't know. But I m sure Nagelmann can turn things around although he is lad of international coaching experience. He is a very young coach with new idea, perhaps he might change new style of play for this German team . Time will tell. Go Die Mannschaft

[@RG_Adapt]

This was a great documentary. Thank you!

[@dwkickoff]

Thanks King! Much appreciated. Spread the word

[@darylmckay]

It seems like a lot of hand-wringing and second guessing. Germany will always be a significant football power, but there will always be highs and lows. I remember around 1982 when Pele dubbed the then West Germany as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and 10 robots. Germany has a proud history of churning out cohesive strong teams with some absolute superstars and they always will!

[@milk__teee]

This low is different than any other low. -two times being grouped is unheard of. Of course not making it to the tournament twice in a row like Italy is crazy. -but they also have as many problems. -Germany definitely do not look the same. -you can tell that “weaker” nations get hungry when they play Germany. -they wanna get the headlines of them defeating Germany since people are still stuck on them being a top nation in the present (which I do think they will bounce back, but it may take a whole new generation before so) -this is completely different from other top nations who struggle. -Italy and Spain have huge talent pools, alongside Brazil and all of them have huge amount of talent, but seemingly don’t have that mentality of past teams and it’s something other nations recognize. -but even so, teams are still afraid of them, yet no team in the top 25 think that way of Germany. -they are kinda like Belgium at the moment. -huge amounts of talent, but it’s clear that if you can really get to them mentally you’ve already achieved 90% of the win.

[@randyborstol2491]

The German nation of 1982 and its demographic is long gone. The country, the clubs and even the national team is full of foreigners who don't care for Germany. How could they? They are not German. Plus players like Schumacher and Matthaus grew up in tougher times where they worked very hard. Schumacher writes in his book about how hard he trained as a teenager. West Germany was building itself back up as a nation after the war. Tough men. The few German players today are weak and feminine. Goretzka for one is embarrasing on and off the pitch.

[@darylmckay]

@randyborstol2491 hmmm reads like rose tinted glasses. West Germany was described as being an economic miracle as early as 1950 and even before 1960 exceeded stagnating Britain. Germany was pretty clinical, hard running, and skilled in 2014, too.

[@darylmckay]

@milktea2422 World rankings are funny. A lot of highly ranked teams over the years have been true headscratchers. There are elite world powers that ebb and flow like Germany, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, France, England, Uruguay, and Spain. Many have been chronic underachievers for a painful length of time. But sometimes a bit of luck can change everything, a lucky win,a kind draw, sudden momentum, key moments... I will never write Germany off in any major tournament.

[@randyborstol2491]

@@darylmckay Well Schumacher was there and he lived through it. I suggest you read his book. He even calls the late 1980s up and coming players lazy. He writes how he did not grow up with much. Jurgen Klinsmann also talks about this in the documentary 'Football Fussball Voetbal'. My Grandfather was born in Germany in a refugee camp in 1952 and emigrated to USA in 1957 so West Germany was not all that in the 1950s if people were leaving.

[@Charlieneumann04]

Amazing films as always, super thorough, indepth analysis.

[@dwkickoff]

Thanks Kevin, glad you like the film. Spread the word!

[@2012adamus]

the new concept was immediately the subject of controversy. in response, hans-joachim watzke (dortmund and dfb official) even said that goals should also be abolished in children's and youth football. this derogatory and sarcastic contribution from a senior official illustrates the rift in football germany. i agree 100 percent with the change of direction. although i'm not german - i'm swiss - i know the training system very well. switzerland has copied a lot from germany. and there, too, youth work is at a turning point. in my family, we have a very talented footballer. the pressure, the selections, it's hard for young people to cope with. especially because this pressure and the selection conditions always remain vague for the boys. the so-called coaches in youth are none. rarely do they take the time to work with the players individually, or to really guide them as people and athletes. those who don't perform are gone. i've been accompanying our boy in football since he was 5. in his children's and youth teams, i've seen fantastic talents who stopped over time. the reason was always the same: no trust, no support, no appreciation. no wonder most of the talents quit. football is still seen as hard and serious work in this country (in the german speaking area). time to change that.

[@dwkickoff]

Thanks for your message, adamus. Good analysis. Very interesting! What happened to your boy, is he still playing?

[@fabianhauser708]

Very good video. Very well summarized 👍

[@dwkickoff]

Thanks, Fabian. Spread the word!

[@jontalbot1]

It’s not just football. In the recent World Athletics final Germany did not win a single medal.

[@use31]

I'm also missing the support for the team from the nation even in times of crisis. I found it horrible how the backlash in (social) media was over the past few years

[@Ramkumarjaga]

When Spain won their World Cup they won the next euro cup and the one before that. After France won the World Cup in 2018, they were still good enough to play in the finals of 2022. In the recent years Germany seems to be the only nation to have lost its influence after the World Cup. They have to find more match winners. Efficiency and consistency are good but you also need players with higher individuality and style.

[@hopelessaquarian]

First part is true. But France, Spain and Italy all went out in the group stages when they tried to defend their title. No other national team played so many semi-finals and finals than the Germans.

[@purplebutterfly314]

Mate look up the World Cup curse, for a while it was a thing that the country that was the current world champion would go out in the group stages in the next World Cup. France broke it last year

[@saimonebees9581]

@@hopelessaquarian this is a fact, but I believe you are missing the point. Here it's about the status of German football in the last 20 years. It peaked in 2014, but after the "Reboot generation" stopped playing, Germany has been plainly disappointing. There is no reason to point out "no other national team played so many semis and finals than the Germans": since 2014 they are in a tight competition with Italy in who the most depressed BIG team is. One might argue even that Italy has been better, after winning EURO 2021 despite missing 2 world cups.

[@sabrevni9866]

@@purplebutterfly314 the curse is Die Mannschaft. Flick brought back Mueller and Neuer and they were both awful in WC2022. And now, Mueller, instead of retiring, thinks he deserves to be on the 2026 team at the age of 36. Neuer will be 40. It is seems that the curse is self inflicted if Germany continues to bring back ageing players when it should be looking inward and rebuilding youth teams again

[@nneviz]

Loved Union Berlin in the video!!

[@SergioRPerez]

Well, this is not something to worry about that much. Football nowadays is very competitive around the globe and football is also about cycles, so eventually Germany will comeback. Spain after the amazing run since 2008 to 2012 knew that they can't keep winning all the time. The same with Argentina. The important thing is always continue finding ways to became better and eventually to opportunity to win will show up.

[@lala76]

I am from Singapore. I met Prof Horst Wein for a two day coaching clinic. The man was brilliant.

[@dwkickoff]

Hi @lala76, amazing! Tell us more. How was he? What did you learn...?

[@lala76]

@@dwkickoff He instilled the importance of game intelligence and explained why that is best achieved with small sided games. I remember him telling us coaches one particular skill set that is lacking is the outside foot pass in 2v1 situations. I just remember being in awe at his process. This was in 2010 or 2011.

[@gameburn178]

It is impossible to dominate in football: too many nations, too much learning from each other, too many chances to lose along the way. But a team can be very good indefinitely: like Brazil is and maybe Germany. The only sports I know where one country dominates for decades are the sports where fewer countries compete and the selection of young players in concentrated in one region or country. These are the sports of ice hockey with Canadian domination; and basketball with U.S. domination. As soon as more countries start to develop their own players and leagues, it gradually changes to a more equal situation. Germany had some remarkable players and coaches, it may be that we underrated how good they were, and now that Germany's best are ageing and the team is therefore performing closer to what is expected we see relative failure. They really don't make Manuel Neuers and Thomas Muellers every day. These guys changed the way the game is played.

[@dwkickoff]

Check out Müller - The Raumdeuter. You'll love it kzbin.info/www/bejne/bomraoqYiaanaa8

[@migpinx]

There's no lack of talent and football intelligence in Germany. With all the resources at football disposal, it's moronic to think a country like Germany can't muster together a group of 23 elite players for every tournament. The problem is that even with top players one has to make a team out of it and the German national team these days worries more about politics than playing football. What happened with Özil and the armband in Qatar are prime examples. Since 2014, the pressure put on the players has nothing to do with football. Society wants these guys to carry themselves and go to big tournaments as activists or diplomats, when all they know what to do is kick a ball.

[@rafiu7660]

as an Italian I actually quite envy the German national side. I believe the talent is there, on paper they are one of the best teams in the world. it's true that they have not got results in the past 2 world cups but I think they are trying to change their ways too much. someone like toni kroos should still be playing for Germany to this day. there was a time when Jerome boateng was still good but wouldn't get picked for the national side. introducing young players is important but introducing them prematurely can backfire. at the moment they do not have a great number 9 nor world class fullbacks but there are ways to play around your strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses. currently I would play a 433 with terstegen rudiger schlotterbech sule kimmich kroos(C) goretzka gundogan musiala havertz sane. kimmich would slide in midfield in the buildup leaving a back 3, havertz(or mueller) can play drop into midfield allowing gundogan and goretzka to constantly make runs into the box, on one side you have the pace of sane and on the other you have the creativity of musiala. this would be scary team for the euros!

[@dwkickoff]

Interesting, rafiu7660, thanks for your comment. How do you see Italy's rebuild at the moment. Can they compete for Euro 2024?

[@rafiu7660]

@@dwkickoff Our squad actually is better than the one that won Euro 2020. Mancini introduced a lot of young players into the mix but most of them still need to find regular game time in their respective teams. Our midfield is quite strong but we struggle quite a bit up top and at the back. Semifinals in Euro 2024 would be a good result but realistically we should make the quarter finals at least.

[@Daniel1427]

The main conclusion is that there were a very toxic mix between putting the young talents into a comfort zone where they have everything they need for reaching their potential (that means lack of toughness and too much comfort), and the obsession about winning and if you fail you're going to be digest and being spewed out of the program. Two combinations that not only affects football at itself, it also affects every stage of our daily lifes: A sense of comfort that makes you be fragile, mediocre and lack of hunger (imagine for example a latin american or an african with no money knowing that if they fail they entire family are going to fail. They decision-making process turns around the survival instinct); and the instant gratification culture (if you don't produce results in less than one year, there are bunch of players waiting for other opportunity, so why we should wait for you?) Sad thing. Hope they can recover, German football is always a benchmark

[@alexajh88]

over the past world cups, the most succesful european teams where the more dynamic ones or the ones with a strong fighting spirit. Germany doesn't have this things no more, they seem so uptight on the pitch, a team with no surprise.

[@takuan650]

Das Kreative Potenzial der Spieler entwickeln und weg vom Reißbrett und Beamtenquerpassgeschiebe. Dieser schematische X Box Fussball kotzt mich schon lange an.

[@michaeluzoho5838]

You're right. Football is so robotic now, it's insane. You rarely see mavericks and artists in the game. These type of players are dying out.

[@dwkickoff]

This might be interesting to you, guys. Why the classic playmaker is dying in the modern game: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3e6YpiZhaqdfc0

[@TheKoPro11]

These problems are literally self made and could be fixed by not changing everything but by stopping to sabotage german football. The main topics of sabotage were the false 9 myth. Which is the concept that you don't need a tall guy in the middle that scores. Those players were not developed for years on purpose. Then we had the 2 contact mentality where the ideal team keeps playing the ball around. Dribbling was forbidden in many youth clubs. And that is what we see in the national team. They keep playing 2 contacts until the meet the defenders and then it gets tough. So we play 2 contacts back to the defenders. Even despite those issues I still have hope because people like Musiala, Sane and Gnabry are great at dribbling and Nagelsmann ist a very smart person that will find a way to make it work. Number 9 could be an issue because Füllkrug is not always fit and after him there is a lot of nothing.

[@roccociccone597]

As an Italian I can feel the pain. It’s not like we’re doing any better lately…

[@dwkickoff]

How do you see Italy's rebuild, rocco?

[@roccociccone597]

@@dwkickoff I don't know mate... we recently got a new coach. We have some decent young players, but now it's about letting them play. Spalletti might do good. Who knows.

[@Alpha-ep5gn]

It whenever a team wins the world cup they do shit afterwards

[@sabrevni9866]

yeah, even qualifying for the WC has been hard for Italy

[@Jose-sy1je]

What ruined football in general was the change that clubs were no longer limited to 3 foreign players. Meaning at least 8 in the starting lineup from your actual country. That means clubs could use their economic might to go on a spending spree. That hurt their own players, but also ruined the leagues in economically less competitive countries.

[@symptomofsouls]

Idk if it needs to be that strict, but I agree there should be some limit on foreign players. Germany has no limit on foreign players and no registration rules. The other leagues in the top 5 are more strict. Spain allows a max of 4 non-eu players, and also requires you have x number of spanish players (forgot the exact number) France allows a max of 2 non-eu players England has the work permit rules and requires 8 english players in the squad (doesn't really stop them from signing veterans but makes it harder to fill the youth teams with foreign players at least) Italy doesn't have a limit on non-EU players but does have a rule where you can only sign 1 non-EU player each season I would make a blanket rule for UEFA leagues that at least 8 players in your squad have to be homegrown (4 at the club, 4 in the nation) and a limit on how many young foreign players you can sign (max 1 U-21 foreigner per season)

[@Jose-sy1je]

@@symptomofsouls You had teams before in other countries that played for the European Cup like Red Star, Steaua and many others. But once the 3 foreign player rule stop existing the clubs in the rich countries first bought their players (and destroyed their leagues) and then bought up evth they could find in South America. Before you had many teams compete for the title in each league and everyone could beat everyone. But for some reason like this lack of competition in domestic leagues now.

[@paul1234730]

14:22 Franz Beckenbauer also won the Ballon d'Or, and he did it twice

[@dwkickoff]

Thank you for the heads up, Paul. You're right. We've corrected it.

[@felipedigre]

As a Latin American I find it hilarious that they are trying to benchmark quick decision making and they don't even look at what's happening in Brazil and Argentina. Two of the best at individual talent development.

[@Targetdh]

How many french players you see in top teams and how many argentininans are in those teams? And the Brazilian model can't be an example because the majority of these kids develop their skills in the favelas playing street football, Europe can't immitate that.

[@feliperibeiro7612]

So much ignorance regarding Brazil, no one is better because they play in the streets. If you ever visit the country you will see that there are futsal fields in every corner.

[@cedricb7904]

Natürlich kommen wir wieder!!

[@PrototypeXV]

"Germany are struggling to develop world class players." Welcome to the club Germany. We struggling with that since the 1980's :D Greetings from Hungary.

[@dwkickoff]

Haha, nice one! Dominik Szoboszlai is a baller tho 🔥

[@SunnyDarkoShow]

Overthinking for me. Theres always a new face or 6 or 7.

[@garyprice464]

As an englishman I find this quite odd to watch, German football is going through a lull all teams have 'cycles' I have no doubt in my mind Germany will rise again, my team Liverpool has your future manager in Klopp probably? Oh btw people often talk about Klopp's gengenpress but we have been caught out by it in the past playing a high line can leave you sometime vulnerable at the back to the counterpress - also other nations have caught up now and are not as easy to beat as the past

[@MartinCanada]

Agreed. There is also the physical wear-and-tear of playing the pressing game that takes its toll on busy squads in the Prem. Cheers.

[@Natybbb]

I am documentary addict...I have watched docs for the last decade....DW is one of the most reliable if not the most reliable one. Extreme consistency and balance...always unbiased and to the point documentary. ❤DW

[@dwkickoff]

Thanks @NathanBerhe-gw5wv, we're glad you like our content. Much love!

[@DoYouLikeHawaijar]

Football Legends coaches and techinicians in this video sais almost everything. In my opinion for the current problem, German national team need a true striker(natural number 9). For the long term, coach must let the young players express their football abilities freely instead of body trapping those players only in his football philosophy since grassroot level, players' growing abilities are stunt by trapping in such way. I have the solution for the current problem in German football but you need to hire me to share my football philosophy😊

[@driftwood-c4g]

It is not just about developing local talent that seems to be the problem with Germany. There are factors outside their control as well. Like other nations bringing in their teams who are fierce and hungry to win. Look at Japan and South Korea over the last couple of years. They're not considered minnows anymore. And also teams from the middle east who are playing some really good football. Bundesliga is the most boring of all leagues with only Bayern dominating. Germany will have to focus on not only developing their players but also be wary of teams other than the usual England or Spain and be ready to change their style of playing if they want to beat these teams. The Football landscape is changing and very soon we may see a team outside of Europe or Latin America becoming world champions.

[@Octavius_DelMonte]

I think being such a storied team in International Football has its challenges as you become the team to beat and have a target on your back no matter how much quality you have. Its the double-edged sword of success but I'd rathered be a team of sustainable excellence versus a team that has so much talent but can never seem to get over the hump, like Belgium, Portugal or the Netherlands who are excellent football nations but just seem to fall short in unexpected moments.

[@mesicek7]

It's the talent it's just not good enough. Had the same problems in early 00s with the likes of Bierofka, Lauth, Auer, Kuranyi, Friedrich, Jansen, Hanke, Borowski, Huth.... Italy's been having these problems for a decade now and it's become so bad they've been trying to call up foreign players with Italian passports.

[@guzonjinsin88]

another thing that you need to focus with younger generation is that football is something that you chose and something that you want to dedicate your entire life to, playing and developing you can always learn something, you can always learn something new even in your 40's, problem is we have a generation that wants to be 'pro' and if they realize that they are not good enough for that level they just drop off, young kids are obsessed with this pro garbage and winning, they need to be obsessed with learning, slowly developing, slowly making improvements and obsessed with the emotions they get from that, the joy of growing, joy of overcoming obstacles, joy in the freedom of movement and in finding expression. the systems that we have in place now are too rigid, go to training twice a week, run up and down, pass the ball a few times, take few shots and go home, how is that going to develop anyone? You need hours and hours of ball work, hours of hitting long balls, hours and hours of taking crossing, ball work for first touch, ball movement and thousands of hours later you have the mastery of the ball then you start thinking of serious competition and so on....

[@dwkickoff]

Put in the hard work, exactly. Always true for professionals

[@lexkanyima2195]

It is about life

[@najeebladha4358]

I like how Rudi Voller made the team play during his interim period. No possession based nonsense. Play on the counter with a 4-1-2-1-2 formation. That actually gives the likes of sane and gnabry advantage with their pace over defenders. Nags might be the right choice, if he is willing to let Kimmich not play. Germany look more fluid without him.

[@Craicfox161]

Now England are decent-ish after many disappointing tournaments so it’s just the way it goes

[@Finanzfuechsle]

Germany is a multi-culti-nation. Until 2000 we had only "Germans" - no world stars, but always a fighting spirit and pretty focussed. Usually Germany was called "a tournament team"! Now we have many Germans with foreign roots, which I personally like a lot. It makes the Mannschaft more difficult to predict (more speed, more technique, more strength), but our mentality is different. Less focussed, more discussions and stuff. You can see it in the Netherlands, France or England...

[@jamesg9468]

What a strange comparison. Netherlands, France and England have all been successful in recent years. Germany has looked poor for nearly a decade.

[@Finanzfuechsle]

@@jamesg9468 Germany has looked poor for nearly a decade, but won 1 title more than netherlands + england in the last 50 years. France is a rollercoaster as well. something between world class and horrible

[@vinhle3034]

Well its not the first time Germany trying to find a way to restore their former glory

[@saul-se1kb]

Dude as a Mexican Germany is light years ahead of us there's no way the suits in mexico are thinking about any of this shit the powerpoints they run are about how they can fill their pockets even more