Times have changed for German football. When Germany lifted the World Cup in Brazil on Sunday night, it marked an incredible turnaround in fortunes 13 years on from one of their darkest days.
On an unforgettable night in Munich, England produced one of their finest displays to claim an astonishing 5-1 win, with a hat-trick from Michael Owen and goals from Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey inspiring the Three Lions.
Time for change
Shellshocked, the losers took a close look and themselves and decided that it would be time for change. How right that decision has proved to be.
True, the 2014 champions have gone close time and time again, losing in the 2002 final to Brazil, 2006 semi-final to eventual winners Italy and 2010 semi-final to eventual winners Spain.
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How the Germans reached the ’02 final remains a mystery to many, whilst a wave of home support propelled Jurgen Klinsmann’s side to the later stages once again in ’06. When 2010 came around, they were starting to see the benefit from a refined youth programme, and thrashed England and Argentina on the way to the last four.
Youth team benefits
Playing an attractive brand of football with youth players sprinkled throughout the side, Joachim Low had inherited a side on the up. Comfortable on the ball from back to front, the players have also benefited from playing together at junior tournaments before stepping up to the first team.
Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil - all players who featured in South America (five started the final), all players to have dismantled England 4-0 in a European Championship U21 tournament final back in 2009. Coincidence?
For the record, England’s only representative in the final that made it to Brazil this summer was James Milner. Other starters included Theo Walcott, Nedum Onuoha, Scott Loach and Mark Noble.
So, just how have they done it, and what lessons can England learn from their great rivals? Well, whilst defeat to England in 2001 must have been a major wake-up call, it was actually the nation’s performance at Euro 2000 which initially sparked a reaction at the top of the game.
Multi-party agreement
Crucially, the DFB (equivalent to FA in England), Bundesliga and clubs themselves decided that improving German players at a young age would benefit all parties. It was subsequently agreed that any team in the top two divisions of the league must have their own academy.
English football implemented an academy system of their own a few years before, with Howard Wilkinson the mastermind behind the plan, which was implemented in 1998. 16 years on, England are yet to see the fruits of his labour, whilst Germany, who refined the process, are. Why?
Well, one theory is that a lack of competition is an issue. At academies in England, clubs play each other with no emphasis on winning and losing. That only comes into play at the FA Youth Cup and other occasional tournaments - usually held abroad. In Germany, there is relegation and promotion at the highest level of youth football from U12s up. Winning becomes important, even if not the most crucial part of a junior's development.
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