Germany plan to rebuild by reclaiming the English model

‘Getting back to basics’ and opening their own version of St George’s Park can end pain of World Cup failure

If there was any question over the full-blown crisis the Germany national team found themselves in after elimination from the World Cup on Thursday evening, it was clear for all to see in Doha international airport in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Following numerous meetings with airport security staff and a half-hour delay, the president of the German FA (DFB), Bernd Neuendorf, stood before a breathless and hastily assembled selection of the German media in front of the Lufthansa check-in counter and lamented the nation’s second consecutive group-stage exit at a World Cup.

There was nothing polished, planned or indeed revealing about what he had to say, as he confirmed that the federation would hold a “crisis meeting” to figure out how to get Germany back on track before they host Euro 2024.

“The elimination hurts extraordinarily,” said Neuendorf in a pair of jeans and black shirt. “Nevertheless, we have to look ahead.”

However, while talk of “analysis” and “clear procedure” may have quelled angry fans after 2018, continued failure since then has sparked a need for a more fundamental look at how Germany not only pick and play players on the international stage, but also how they develop young players and whether that conveyor belt of talent needs updating.

The most scathing remark about German football’s inability to produce good enough players came from none other than the manager himself, when Hansi Flick singled out English-raised and Chelsea youth graduate Jamal Musiala as the golden example that the nation needs to try to emulate.

“His skill in the tackles, the oneon-ones, he’s outstanding, and the next couple of years, we do have talents in our team, we are heading in the right direction,” noted Flick. “But we really have to focus on the training. Jamal has been trained in England, not in Germany. We need to get back to the basics.”

Flick’s use of the word “basics” is quite telling, simply because it’s the antithesis of what youth development has been all about in German football for the past 15 years. Like many European nations, Germany tried to revolutionise coaching through complicated and rigid systems that favoured technically astute and efficient players, but the end result of that has led to a generation of players that made for excellent midfielders, but few defenders, strikers or flair players. As such, the country have already gone back to the drawing board and in turn looked to England for inspiration.

The most notable change has come in the DFB’S new €150 million sports facility in Frankfurt, which is set to become Germany’s equivalent of St George’s Park. Built on a former racecourse just outside the city, the “DFB Campus” will look to centralise youth development and