According to Oliver Bierhoff, German football needs staying power when it comes to promoting talent.
“The result of the training reform that we have tackled normally takes at least five to seven years before you see it,” said the responsible DFB director on “Bild live”.
The goal is clearly formulated: “Much more individuality, many more football field players, have the courage to let the players their own way, not to play so conformistly.”
According to Bierhoff, the lack of talent is currently making itself felt: “We no longer have the breadth that we had a few years ago.” When the 2014 World Cup triumphed, there were “seven or eight players of the highest quality”, “that is no longer the case in the youth national teams”. The time young German professionals play in the Bundesliga has “decreased dramatically. We have to improve our training system and other ways.”
However, this does not detract from the title prospects at the World Cup in Qatar (November 21 to December 18). “We have a realistic chance. We’re certainly not among the favourites, but we have great players,” said Bierhoff (53): “If we bring everything in, the team collective, the focus, the discipline, everything is possible.”