“Develop individual quality”
DFB youth director Hannes Wolf is convinced that the creation of new leagues for the U17 and U19 areas has created a further building block for the development of future stars. “We want to develop more individual quality,” he said on Monday in a digital media roundtable to introduce the new league concept. “We need all types of players, we can’t lose anyone.” This also applies after the World Cup success of the German U17 national team.
The previous A and B junior Bundesliga will be replaced by DFB youth leagues from the 2024/25 season – without a relegation battle for the young professional clubs, but with more knockout games for the German championship. “So far, half the league has always been in a relegation battle,” said Wolf. According to analyzes by the German Football Association, the pure avoidance of failure, which dominated the top youth sector, slowed down rather than promoted the development of players.
“It is undisputed that the new structure is better. Winning and losing still play a big role,” he emphasized. “It is an essential building block to develop players even better. In the end, it’s about developing the individual quality of the young players.” The DFB’s youth reform also includes a new training philosophy with small-format games and more ball contact.
Brunner, Darvich & Co.: The squad of the German U17 world champions (in Indonesia)
“We are pleased that we have taken the next step with the children’s football reform,” said Daniel Feld, head of youth and performance centers at the German Football League. “The U17 and U19 leagues will certainly not solve all the problems.” There are still challenges that still need to be addressed in terms of stringency from children’s football to youth football and the youth leagues right up to the transition area to the professionals.
It is also important what happens “in terms of sports content on the field from Monday to Friday” and what the youth strategy looks like at club level. “Game day is not the only solution, we also have to include it in everyday training,” agrees Wolf. “We need a change in terms of content and across the board.”
An important innovation in the introduction of the DFB youth league is that in the future all 56 performance centers from German professional football will have a starting place. There will also be a new substitution rule, according to which it will be possible to replace seven players per team instead of five. The aim is to create a chance for every player in the 18-man squad to play. “It must be prevented that someone sits on the bus for three hours and then returns without using anything,” said Wolf.
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