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| Bayern Vs Dortmund Ten years in the making |
Knocked
out in the group stage, without a single win or goal, this was rock bottom for Die Mannschaft.
Something
had to be done.
From
Fritz Walter’s 1954 heroes to Franz Beckenbauer’s seventies powerhouse to
Lothar Matthaus’s 1990 World Cup’ winners, victory had been synonymous with Germany
However,
somewhere amid the jubilation – which included the unification of West and East Germany
So,
here it was. Domination over.
Signs of decline had been
evident at the 1998 World Cup in France
where Germany
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| Glory Boys... German fans celebrate another win |
Reaching
the 2002 World Cup final only served to paper over the cracks. In truth, it was
a limited German side, inspired beyond recognition by the heroic performances
of Michael Ballack and Oliver Kahn’s immense keeping.
On
the club scene the story was similar with Bayern Munich’s triumphs at the turn
of the century – crowned by Champions League glory in 2001 – representing the
last kicks of a dying horse.
In
the years that followed, German influence on the Champions League waned, and
after Bayer Leverkusen reached the final in 2002, no German club reached the
last four for the next five seasons.
So,
here it was: Euro 2004, a crossroads.
Thanks
to this disastrous first-round exit minds would finally be concentrated on the
task of turning things around – of returning Germany
The road back – 2004 to 2013
Jurgen
Klinsmann was, in many ways, the perfect messiah for Germany
When
Klinsmann took over as national team coach in 2004 he provided invaluable
impetus to a regeneration process that had begun in 2001.
Klinsmann’s
main goal was to give German football an identity. He focused on imparting a
particular style of play and building on the academy program initiated by the
German Football Association (DFB) in 2001.
Following
Germany’s Euro 2000 disappointment the German FA had instructed all Bundesliga
clubs to set up youth academies – with state of the facilities and teams from
Under-12 to Under-23s – as a condition of their license.
The
following year this was extended to all Bundesliga II clubs as well.
These
academies were not merely to be the property of clubs but would be overseen by
an academies committee, made up of
representatives from the German FA, German Football League and Bundesliga
clubs.
In
2002, before the changes kicked in, 60 percent of players in the Bundesliga
were foreign. Today the number is reversed.
These wholesale changes
to the system still had fervent sceptics. Change is never easy or readily
accepted and it’s fair to say that although foundations were being set, no real
unified progress was being made.
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| The Future Borussia Dortmund's next generation |
“When
Jogi (Loew) and I took over the German side, we made our plans very public and
made it clear that we were trying to rebuild from the bottom up,” Klinsmann
said in 2010. “The German Football Association helped us by putting a lot of
pressure on all the first and second division teams in the Bundesliga to build
academy programmes and ensure talented young players were coming through.”
What
began to emerge was a blueprint for the style of play that would be used by all
national teams in Germany
Now,
Klinsmann wanted a radical change.
“We
eventually decided to go down an attack-minded route, passing the ball on the
ground from the back to the front line as quickly as possible using dynamic
football,” Klinsmann says. “It was our intention to play a fast-paced game, an
attacking game and a proactive game.”
The
by-product was the 2006 World Cup which changed the way the world viewed Germany
The
fast-paced, attacking game Klinsmann advocated was the way to go and so came part two of the process for Germany
Complete football
development is a positive loop. Culture is built at the grassroots and is
reaffirmed at senior level. A nation may have the finest youth system but if
the national side does not promote the same identity, the process is defeated.
Similarly, a senior team may espouse a certain style – and even achieve success
– but if this is not backed up at the grassroots success will not last.
The
focus on academies and a national playing style has translated into Germany
This
is the way the German Bundesliga is today – rapid, offensive and entertaining.
Mostly
importantly, this revolution is spearheaded by German talent, players brought
up in the system.
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| On the up Mario Gotze, one of Germany's rising stars |
From Dortmund
to Munich
How
quickly German football has managed to remodel itself is one of the great
wonders of the world, but perhaps it’s just an example of German efficiency.
As
has been well-documented, just seven years ago Borussia Dortmund were on the
brink of bankruptcy and needed a €2 million loan from Bayern Munich to help
cover its payroll.
Two
factors have been fundamental.
One
is the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager in May 2008. His fiery,
passionate attitude has galvanised the club and his tactical nous has brought
on-field successes.
The
second is a shift towards youth that was necessitated by their financial
troubles (which had partly been brought about by overpaid, foreign stars).
Players
such as Gotze, Reus, Marcel Schmelzer, Shinji Kagawa, Robert Lewandowski, Mats
Hummels, Neven Subotic, Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lucas Barrios
have either come from Dortmund’s academy or have been bought at low cost.
This
transformation of Dortmund
Bayern, on the other
hand, has always been a superpower capable of buying the best talent. For
example, Bayern’s financial might has allowed the club to spend more than €200
million over the past four seasons to sign global superstars such as Javi
Martinez, Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben.
Nevertheless,
Bayern is emerging from a slump – from 2003 to 2009 – during which they were unable
to keep up with the might of English teams, Spain ’s
technique or Italy
Bayern
were a non-factor in the business end of the Champions League.
It’s
only in the past four seasons that Bayern have re-established themselves as a
genuine superpower of the European game, reaching three Champions League finals
in that period.
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| The Money and the Gem... Arjen Robben and Toni Kroos |
The beginning of German domination?
To
say this is the beginning of German domination is premature. But clearly Germany
What
football has frequently taught is dominance goes in cycles. Not so long ago
there seemed no end to the dominance of English clubs. Spain ’s duopoly of Barcelona
The
strength of English Premier League remains significant, especially financially.
The English Premiership has a new bumper television deal coming into effect
next season that will increase income even more.
Nonetheless,
what sets Germany
One
such rule is the 50+1 Rule which
prevents wealthy investors from buying a club with short-term gain in mind.
Each German Bundesliga club – apart from Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg
This
measure is intended to stop clubs from falling into massive debt if their
wealthy owners leave, such as what happened to Portsmouth
In
addition, the Bundesliga is governed by strict financial rules. Each club is
required to present accounts to prove they will at least break-even for the
coming season. In the transfer market, meanwhile, buy low and sell high is the
motif for most German clubs.
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| The 12th Man 50 + 1 Rule in action |
As
a result of this academy program, 60 percent of the players playing in the
Bundesliga are German, with more than half educated through the academy system.
Things are looking up
from all angles; the Bundesliga is now the best supported football league in
the world with an average attendance of 45,134 fans per match and Die Mannschaft is again a perennial
contender at international champions. And this marvellous rise is crowned by
the first time two German teams have contested a Champions League final –
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Whether
this heralds an era of domination only time will tell, but this is Germany
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