When we look to the Euros this summer, there are plenty of favourites going into the tournament. England, France and Spain are all amongst the teams favoured to win the competition, but one team a lot of people haven’t considered are the tournament hosts, Germany.
Ten years ago, Germany won their 4th World Cup as they beat Argentina in the final. Since then, the Germans haven’t had much joy in major tournaments. They narrowly beat Italy in the Euro 2016 quarter finals on penalties, but their momentum came to a halt in the semi final against France.
At the 2018 World Cup, Germany couldn’t make it past the Group stage, and defeat in the Round of 16 against England in the previous Euros was their first exit at that stage since the 1938 World Cup. Things didn’t get much better at the next World Cup, as they were once again knocked out in the Groups.
So what went wrong for Germany post 2014, and how their fortune might turn around just in time before they host the Euros.
The major problem for the German national team after the 2014 success was a number of key players retiring from football. Per Mertesacker retiring as an optional center back wasn’t helpful, but losing Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm who were key parts of the squad through a number of tournaments had huge implications.
Other players stepped up into those senior positions such as Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, but gaps were still present, with a lot of experience leaving the squad.
Another major stumbling block for Germany has been the lack of young players that became key players for the team. At the 2014 World Cup, a bright star for Germany was André Schürrle, but he coudln’t really hit the height that was expected of him, despite an impressive World Cup campaign.
Since then, Germany haven’t been able to produce as many talents as France, England, Spain and many other major international nations, which has ultimately led to a decline in performance at these competitions.
Recently, things have started to change for Die Nationalmannschaft with the introduction of a new manager, key experience players offering the leadership needed in the team, and a fresh list of new talents that have made an impact on the current squad.
Having a player like Toni Kroos decide against his retirement from international football, and coming back into the team ahead of the Euros is a massive bonus.When you then add Neuer, Hummels and Muller on top, players who have been involved in success for Germany, it will certain have positive indications for Nagelsmann’s team.
Then when you look at options Germany possess in midfield, the main players are Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, arguably Germany’s best two talents over the last 10 years. These two creating all the attacking threats could be a vital part to any possible success for German.
Adding this to a lot of other players like Max Beier, David Raum and plenty of other players who have broken into the German team, alongside others on the brink of being involved in the squad for the Euros, makes this an exciting tournament for fans of the home nation.
However, the one of the most promising developments will have been recent results in Friendlies. Two wins against two teams who will be going far in the competition being France and The Netherlands have shown signs of progress for the German fans under the new management of Julian Nagelsmann, who has started his international managerial career well, after taking the place of Hansi Flick.
In the friendly against the Netherlands, Germany dominanted possession, while also playing attacking football, with a number of shots challenging the Dutch goal, as Musiala and Wirtz stood out in these games.
When considering this, it’s a real possibility that Germany can put in a performance they have been looking for at a major tournament since their World Cup victory.
The only real issue that German might have is the lack of a standout striker, with Kai Havertz and Niclas Fullkrug fighting it out before the competition begins, but the quality in other positions could be enough to allow Germany to go far in the tournament, and possibly win a trophy like they did a decade before.
Featured Image – “German Fans” by StewieD is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Final Whistle 