Germany may be a footballing powerhouse, but recent uneven performances and the shadow of the last two Men’s World Cup collapses have meant the team is having to build its identity again from scratch — redefining what success means along the way.
At this summer’s World Cup, that means the quarterfinals, according to a report from Sky Germany. Captured via @iMiaSanMia:
The internal goal that has been set for this World Cup is the quarterfinals. If the German team reaches the last 8, the DFB would consider
it a success. Reaching the first semifinals of a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup would be considered a huge success [@SkySportDE]
BFW Commentary
We’re a long way from aiming for the title, folks — though that is still Julian Nagelsmann’s line and has been. The national team coach faced criticism early on for talk of trophies when the on-pitch progress was not there, and it looks like there is some attempt at easing expectations for a team that is acknowledged to not be one of the favorites. Still, it is kind of a bad look. Play a good tournament, go out to maybe France early, and then cast that as a success, you know? It is harder to accept from this vantage point, before a single match has been played, that a quarterfinals exit would be an impressive result.
As for ‘first semifinals of a major tournament’… EURO 2016: Am I a joke to you?
In its heyday, a semifinals loss was bitter for Germany. Now, though, it is probably fair to acknowledge that the team is not there. Baby steps and all, but you cannot help but feel this is a disappointing place to be after the feel-good vibes of EURO 2024.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- New, improved notifications system!
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
