Germany’s World Cup exit reveals structural failures, says Bayer Leverkusen boss
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Germany are set to appoint Jurgen Klopp (above) as coach after Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation but Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro said the former Liverpool boss cannot solve German football’s woes on his own.
PHOTO: AFP
BERLIN – Germany’s continued World Cup failures are a result of structural, political and cultural problems in German society, Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro said on July 14.
Four-time winners Germany were eliminated by minnows Paraguay in the last 32 of the World Cup in June, having crashed out at the group stage of the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Having taken over Leverkusen in 2018, Carro helped guide the club to a first Bundesliga title in 2024, alongside lifting the German Cup in the same season. They also reached the Europa League final, the only match the German side lost in the entire campaign.
“There needs to be greater investment in youth development, including a better integration of school and sports,” 61-year-old Carro told AFP.
“A state-of-the-art, modern infrastructure is a key figure as well... projects that improve these conditions are too often slowed down by bureaucracy and lengthy decision-making.
“The issue goes beyond facilities and structures. There is also a cultural dimension.”
The Spaniard said Leverkusen have been waiting almost a decade for approval on a new training centre despite scaling the project down from its initial target.
“We are still struggling with approvals despite identifying a suitable site,” he said.
“That just illustrates one example of a much broader challenge here in Germany.”
Originally from Barcelona, Carro said World Cup finalists Spain and semi-finalists France and England succeeded due to “enormous ambition, resilience and collective strength”.
“There are always things you can learn from other countries and systems,” he added.
“With Spain, England and France, you have three of the four World Cup semi-finalists literally next door.
“These are similarly developed football nations that have invested consistently in modern infrastructure and academies, as well as in coaches and player development.”
Germany are set to appoint Jurgen Klopp as coach after Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation, but Carro said the 59-year-old cannot solve German football’s woes on his own.
“Jurgen Klopp has achieved a great deal in his career and deserves respect for that,” he said of the former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund boss. “But one coach alone cannot solve long-term and structural challenges.
“The conditions around him are at least as important: A strong and modern youth development concept, state-of-the-art infrastructure, clear performance principles and a willingness to change.” AFP
