Sébastien Haller helped Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations, two years after his cancer diagnosis. San Marino wins its second competitive game in history in Liechtenstein and is promoted to Division C of the Nations League. This and much more would have made it into a football annual review, but: This is supposed to be about German football, and there too needs to be a strict selection.
The National team
The German men’s senior national soccer team is starting the year with a reputation slightly better than that of San Marino. Then Toni Kroos comes back, Florian Wirtz scores the fastest goal in international history in France, Germany wins, Germany loves the team that is no longer called “The Team” again. The euphoria carries through to the quarter-finals of the European Championship against Spain. The head of Mikel Merino ends the journey, optionally the hand of Marc Cucurella. National coach Julian Nagelsmann says that he will then become world champion. More on that in two years.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann with returnee Toni Kroos
The resignations
“See you soon”, says captain İlkay Gündoğan supposedly when saying goodbye to Nagelsmann from the team quarters. A few weeks later he announced his resignation. Kroos is also quitting, just like Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller. The three world champions from 2014 will no longer play in the world champions of 2026.
The Bundesliga
Bayer Leverkusen becomes champions without losing a game in the league. The 3-0 win against Bayern Munich in February is the sticking point. After that it gets historical and boring, but boring in a different way than in the previous eleven seasons. Xabi Alonso is the master coach. Susi Hoeneß, Uli’s wife, attests that he has a good character because he is not going to Bayern (like some others). In certain circles that is worth significantly more than the “Coach of the Year” award.
Jonathan Tah (M.) celebrates Bayer’s first championship with his teammates.
The coaches of the year
Xabi Alonso, of course, but also Christian Streich, who leaves behind a life’s work at SC Freiburg that will probably only be properly appreciated when we look back on the decade. The cheeky newcomer is Fabian Hürzeler, who leads St. Pauli to promotion and is also well received in England. Above all, he also likes to cause offense. “In terms of sport, it wasn’t an outstanding tournament. We didn’t win against any top nation, but lost against the first top nation.”says Hürzeler about the European Championships.
Hürzeler’s predecessors
Thomas Tuchel becomes national coach in England, increasing the excitement for the 2025 year in review. Jürgen Klopp announced in January that he would Liverpool FC will leave after the season because he no longer has any energy. Nothing comes of the announced minimum break of one year because he finds an energy drink company that persuades him to “Head of Global Soccer” (title of the year). Klopp lost the love of many football fans faster than Fortuna Düsseldorf lost its 3-0 lead in the relegation game against VfL Bochum.
The Champions League
Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund also has a clear lead in the Champions League final, but only in terms of chances. One after the other goes unused, and then their opponent, Real Madrid, remembers that they are Real Madrid – and wins 2-0.
The women
Bayern Munich become champions without defeat. VfL Wolfsburg wins the DFB Cup as if the DFB statutes prohibit anyone else from winning. Lena Oberdorf is moving from Wolfsburg to Munich for a record fee. The transfer fee should be 400,000 euros. The dimension of the year compared to men. Christian Wück becomes the new national coach, Alexandra Popp is resigning from the national team and she wants to win more trophies with VfL.
Alexandra Popp at her last international match
The decision of the year
The German Football Association (DFB) says it listens carefully to everything, only to then say that it will ignore all warnings because otherwise it will be isolated. Clapping for Saudi Arabia – the gesture of the year.
The memories
Franz Beckenbauer dies in January. The best German footballer is dead. He will survive all the reviews of German football. With Christoph Daum there will be a few, with Kay Bernstein there will be a few.