Title: Former German Footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger Blames Crisis in German Football on Guardiola’s Style
Subtitle: Schweinsteiger’s insightful comments shed light on the decline in German football
Byline: [Author’s Name]
[date]
Bastian Schweinsteiger, former German footballer and Bayern Munich legend, has expressed his opinion on the current crisis prevailing in German football. The blame, according to Schweinsteiger, lies with Spanish coach Josep Guardiola, who led Manchester City to a treble victory last season.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Schweinsteiger criticized Guardiola’s style, stating that it does not align with German football’s traditional values. When Guardiola took charge of Bayern Munich in 2013, he attempted to emulate his own playing style, leading to a deviation from the nation’s footballing ethos.
“When he arrived in the country, everyone was of the opinion that we had to play this type of football focused on short passes, but what happened in the end was that we lost our values,” Schweinsteiger commented.
Furthermore, Schweinsteiger lamented the loss of struggle and dedication that was previously associated with the German national team. He pointed out that these virtues were evident during their victorious 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil but have faded away since then.
“We’ve lost that virtue over the last seven or eight years because we just forgot about it. We were just more focused on passing the ball beautifully,” Schweinsteiger explained.
Guardiola had a successful three-year stint with Bayern Munich, during which he worked closely with Schweinsteiger. Despite winning numerous titles, including domestic dominance, the Bavarian club fell short of UEFA Champions League glory under Guardiola.
The state of German football has been in decline in recent years, with poor results in international competitions. The country failed to progress beyond the group stage in the last two World Cups (Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022). Additionally, they were eliminated by England in the Round of 16 in the previous Euro tournament, did not qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and currently, the senior team is out of the top 10 in the FIFA world rankings.
Schweinsteiger’s comments provide valuable insights into the underlying issues that have contributed to the crisis in German football. As the nation seeks to reestablish its dominance on the international stage, considering the balance between style and traditional values may prove pivotal in shaping their future success.