The German league has traditionally been reluctant to adopt new models and introduce upgraded elements from — let’s say — European football. If you have a look at the Bundesliga league table, you must realise that the top 6 clubs are led either by young, ambitious coaches with a scientific approach, or by foreign trainers mostly from Holland – the home of total football.
I believe it all started with the appointment of Rudi Völler as national coach, who practically came without any experience, and was later (to be honest as a result of a disastrous showing at Euro 2004) succeeded by Jurgen Klinsmann — another rookie.
Credit must be given to the DFB (German Football Federation) for taking an unprecedented risk, even though it was urged by international progress of football. It by far did not mean to leave the good old German virtues behind, but Klinsmann subsequently embarked on an aggressive program to revamp the management of the team.
He brought fellow German striker Oliver Bierhoff on board helped diffuse public relations duties of the previous combined post away from the actual coaching aspect of the position and also — big surprise — Jogi Löw, and they created a youth movement to breathe life into an aging squad.
Klinsmann and Löw had met at a coaching school years ago and the instant Klinsmann was appointed he called on Löw to serve with him. Klinsmann brought in a new attacking philosophy and used Löw, a far more talented tactician, to implement his ideas. The charismatic and highly influential Klinsmann and the tactically smart and also well-liked Löw formed a formidable team and their performances silenced the critics. Even Franz Beckenbauer, previously a strident critic of Klinsmann’s, declared his desire to see him continue as coach. There was also widespread public support for Klinsmann due to his team’s spirit and attacking style of play.
The experiment was seen as a clear success and Bundesliga clubs were all ready to follow. I can hardly remember top teams scoring and also conceding as many goals as these days (HSV 14:11; Hoffenheim 16:12; Stuttgart 12:8; Leverkusen 18:11; S04 11:7; BVB 13:11). Do or die.
Amazingly, head coaches have a combined eleven years of Bundesliga experience. Well, basically it is just Armin Veh (3 years), Rangnick (5) and Klopp (3), the other guys are simply virgins, however and fortunately, not too shy ones. And this is happening in a league, which always had distrust in innovations, being too obsessed with hierarchical structures and models, in a league, where even fans initiated campaigns Gegen den modernen fussball (~against the modern football), in a league, where Friedhelm Funkel, Christoph Daum or Felix Magath alone has more experience than the top six together.
The case of Ralf Rangnick (Hoffenheim) is especially interesting. Owing to an appearance on a sports show on German TV in December 1998, in which he explained the tactics of a game extensively on a blackboard, he is until today – mostly dismissively – nicknamed the ‘Football Professor’. I am curious to see, if the joke is going to be on him at the end of the season — I hardly think so.
Last year it was Toni and Ribéry, now it is Zaccardo, Andrea Barzagli, Khalid Boulahrouz, Henrique, Thiago Neves, Alex Silva — a couple of fresh recruits, who could fit into any other league, still were happy to join Bundesliga. Or the other way around, Bundesliga was happy to extend a warm welcome by overcoming its aversion towards (future) stars.
The attitude to the game is definitely changing in Germany, you surely have to give that. Management by vision is the key word here. The forerunners are doing well and as long as they continue to develop (why wouldn’t they?), hopefully they can make the breakthrough in the Bundesliga very quickly.
No Bundesliga club are financially in the red. Thats a huge fact to boast about when comparing the financial dillemma of other clubs in various leagues across Europe don’t you say. The German FA is doing something right and its wise other leagues lower their pride and go check out what it is all about in Germany
As someone living outside Europe, I loved the EPL and Arsenal. But of late I prefer to watch the Bundesliga than the EPL(except when Arsenal plays). The Bundesliga has clean football, good physical play and lets not forget passionate supporters. Its certainly no co-incidence that the league became better only after Bayern Munich’s undisputed reign was seriously threatened (first by Bremen, then Stuttgart and now a host of clubs). However I do not agree with your assesment of Klinsmann. He had a good support team to motivate and impart the basics to the players (Bieroff and Low being the main among them) but Klinsmann himself I consider to be a really lucky character throughout his career. I fail to see something great that he did. Lets not forget, all his tactical gifts failed him against a sustained and well planned Italian game in the WC semifinals. Low on the other hand prefers to be more direct with his players (the recent incident with Kuranyi), appears less bothered about the media and certainly put out the better team in terms of attack-minded play. But then again that’s my opinion. Good relevant article BTW……………
I disagree with your statement “I fail to see something great that he did. Lets not forget, all his tactical gifts failed him against a sustained and well planned Italian game in the WC semifinals.” True he could not outfox the Italians but do you rmemeber the German team and how they were playing prior to Klinsman appointment? The attacking play you are talking about and the German team we see on the field today were given the foundation to built on by Klinsman. Remember Frings comment before the first game in the World Cup against Costa Rica? ” We are going to shoot on sight and attack like crazy. What can you expect from a coach who was a terrific striker for our country” Germay scored 4 super goals and was voted the most exciting team in World Cup 06. The first time they have ever been given that honor in modern times.
Klinsmann and Löw certainly did not silence the critics until the (for Geman expectations) very successful world cup campaign. I distantly remember a 4-1 defeat to Italy in March 2006 after which some of the leading figures of German football, the “Kaiser” Franz Beckenbauer first and foremost, called for an instant sacking of this team. Even during the preparations for the world cup in Mallorca, press reports damned the new training methods used by Klinsmann and his fitness team.
The attitude is changing but it won’t take much for the clubs to turn backwards again. Especially Klinsmann is seen as the leader of modern football and, should he be sacked for not being successful enough with Bayern Munich, I fear that it will really slow the development down.
that’s right Stefanie…that is why Rummenigge and Hoeness would not fire Klinsmann right now. They guaranteed him a job to finish the entire season. Whether this is strictly under club contracts I don’t know, but I think they are looking more for the future. Remember, the Bundesliga nowadays is not a one-horse race anymore. I expect goal fests than goal droughts. These fluctuations may be temporary, I mean Bayern could be on the up before the winter break, but what is important is that the entire league can compete. Klinsmann should start getting results by next month because his experiment with the national team would have completed its transition to German club football if his own club succeeds. If Bayern is capable of mirroring the German NT’s performances, then we can say that Bremen, Hamburg, Schalke, Stuttgart, Bayer 04, Hoffenheim etc. can all do the same.
Since the mantra is now attacking and total football, you can even have a certain Vedad Ibisevic and Patrick Helmes as the league’s top scorers…
This is a good article if I might add. The real task would be re-arming the German NT when the time comes when players like Ballack, Frings, Klose, Friedrich and Schneider are near retirement… and who replaces Loew? We would see wave upon wave of up and coming German Bundesliga stars and coaches… the emphasis here is that these German players all come from Bundesliga sides and are successful there…and the coaches are similar in mold to Klinsmann and Loew.
By that time, Podolski, Gomez, Helmes, Trochowski, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Mertesacker, Adler etc. have all reached their prime… and with players like Ozil, Kroos, Marin, Neuer from the U-21’s, Germany and the Bundesliga have a future.
Isn’t klinsmann playing an archaic 3-5-2 or has ribery’s return changed his mind?
Yes, now it is 4-4-2, it was the obvious consequence of the return of the Road Runner.