Julian Nagelsmann in the DFB? : Foul before the start of the match

bEven before the new national football coach finishes training with the men’s team, one thing is certain: he must be on his guard. The German Football Association (DFB) seems to have become what it was not so long ago. Dangerous for anyone in a leadership position.

How did you arrive? When news broke on Tuesday that Julian Nagelsmann would become the new bench coach, with Rudi Völler replacing him as the leading figure after just one game, the German Football Association was far from announcing his retirement. There were still some details left to be clarified. In such cases, it is useful to talk to each other, and this can remove the last obstacles. But talking too much or too soon is one of the most explosive mistakes.

It’s a rush. And that is why it makes sense to recognize a return to the old days in this case too: the nascent cooperation between the DFB and Nagelsmann was deliberately undermined, as was the – unconfirmed – amount of the fee: 400,000 euros per month until the end. The European Championship, depending on when the contract starts, is around 3.6 million euros.

DFB returns to old patterns

Who could be interested in this, given the precarious position of the DFB? He doesn’t actually have the money to fund another head coach. Regional associations were heard over the weekend asking whether, given the economic situation, it would not be advisable or even mandatory to opt for a cheaper solution for the DFB’s most expensive and (in recent times) most wasteful asset.

It does not matter whether someone wanted to anger Nagelsmann’s opponents with his imprudent actions, tried to obstruct his appointment in a roundabout way, or another person had the exact opposite in mind. What is more important for the future is the return of German professional football to the manners that have robbed it, especially the German Football Association, of success and reputation in recent years.

The events of recent days, the appointment of Andreas Rettig as managing director of sport, which was carried out with great fanfare and resignations, are evidence of a new confrontation between the German Football League and the German Football Association. Just at the moment when we will have to unite all our forces in order to use the no longer brilliant, but still huge potential for good, at least decently successful football.

From the outside, it is rare to see the details of why clubs, racing teams, competitive sports systems and associations succeed. But they all have one thing in common: criticism is internally clarified and harmful information is not passed through. There is an aura of leadership behind it.