After the German national soccer team lost the World Cup, Uli Stielike took stock and attacked the sporting leadership of the DFB team. The 1980 European champion and 1982 vice-world champion is also not at all pleased with the general development in football.
“Soon no one will understand our sport any more,” said Uli Stielike in an interview with “kicker” about the mechanization of football. The use of the video referee in the tightest of decisions is “no longer in the interest of the game”, especially if the VAR is not used consistently.
“If you want such decisions, then you have to follow through with them,” warned the 68-year-old, who has celebrated numerous successes in his active career, including winning three championships with Borussia Mönchengladbach and Real Madrid and the UEFA Cup won.
“Line judge? This job is just a job creation measure, nobody needs it anymore because they just raise the flag out of the basement according to the instructions anyway. A robot can do that too,” Stielike put his finger in the wound and added: “Why not use the Hawk-Eye for balls out – like in tennis?”
However, Stielike would keep the referee. “So that the players have at least one to snap at,” said the ex-professional and former coach, who also spoke out against more and more and more and more unnecessary statistics that don’t help anyone. “Does a left footed person sweat more than a right footed person? […] Do you use more energy with cleated shoes than with pimples? Of course, these important details would have to be made available immediately to the 12 coaches with the four laptops on the substitutes’ bench,” said Stielike with a pinch of sarcasm.
Stielike worked in the youth division of the DFB and later also as an assistant coach of the senior national team
The former international was by no means against innovations. “It’s great not having to kick off forwards. Also the possibility of making five substitutions. Not only do they give the coach more tactical freedom, they also keep more players in a good mood,” said Stielike, the offside in the shoe size identifying the striker, on the other hand, is detrimental to the sport.
Stielike: The German team denied themselves
The German national soccer team, which Stielike looked after as an assistant coach between 1998 and 2000, did not get off well with the ex-coach either. The sporting leadership has made many mistakes in recent years that led to today’s result.
“In my opinion, the big problem is that you deny yourself,” said Stielike, analyzing the defeat of the DFB team at the World Cup in Qatar and going into detail: “We believe that the so-called German virtues are no longer up to date. You copy a lot, but you don’t stick to your own strengths.”
The 68-year-old gave an example: “You want to solve situations in a playful way, even against great pressure and in a confined space. The pass forward is frowned upon, you prefer to take risks. But if you then realize that the playful means are not enough, then quickly lower their heads.”
It was a mistake that a classic center forward was only rarely used in Qatar. According to Stielike, such a player has “always played a decisive role in the German game throughout its history”. Without it, “our game lacks depth and the wing game withers away because there’s no exploiter,” said the 68-year-old.