Bundesliga and the rest: Domestic and European competition discussion

been waiting and expecting for someone to comment on this
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/bundesliga-must-take-a-look-mirror-says-sammer

 

terrible choice.
the last good coaches at Bayern were Hitzfeld and Heynckes.

 

Those reports are coming from the ever reliable Spanish media. I still think Tuchel is the top candidate.

 

our NT coach now speaks on the Europe performances.


Joachim Löw alarmed by Bundesliga clubs’ poor showing in Europe


Joachim Löw has described German clubs’ performances in Europe this season as “alarming” and a wake-up call for those who claim the Bundesliga produces the world’s best talent.

All six German teams in Champions League and Europa League action last week were beaten with Bayern Munich’s 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain costing Carlo Ancelotti his job. Mats Hummels, who was on the bench for Bayern in Paris, admitted the results were “very embarrassing indeed”. His club’s 3-0 win over Anderlecht in the first round of Champions League matches represents Germany’s only victory in 12 European fixtures this term. There have been nine defeats in total.

Löw, in Belfast for Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, insists it is too early to dismiss German prospects in Europe this season but claimed the quality of the Bundesliga has been exaggerated for too long.

“The weak performances of German clubs in Europe is hopefully just a momentary blip but it is alarming,” the Germany manager said. “It is too early to say whether it is a general trend. Bayern and Dortmund have every chance to progress in the Champions League and it is the same for the Europa League teams.

“But for a while now I, and my coaches, have been thinking about how to improve things in the Bundesliga and that it’s wrong to praise the Bundesliga to the high heavens or say only the Bundesliga produces the best talent. That would be untrue and people who say this have been humbled by this recent experience. We have to recognise this. We know this from sending scouts to other countries including South America. We know there is talent all around the world and the Bundesliga isn’t the be-all and end-all.”

Löw agreed with Jürgen Klinsmann’s assessment that retaining the World Cup in Russia next summer will be Germany’s toughest challenge. The former Germany head coach also suggested in a recent interview that his successor will retire after the next World Cup and, while refusing to be drawn on that issue, admitted he wanted to coach at club level one day.

“On the first item I think he’s right,” Löw said. “It will be the hardest task for us as reigning champions and Confederation Cup winners. It will be tremendously difficult to maintain the same level and enthusiasm in our players especially as other nations have caught up and have outstanding players in their ranks.

“As for the other point, retirement is far from my mind. I’m enjoying life as it stands and I have a contract running for some more years. But I can quite imagine taking over at a club at one point. I love being on the pitch with players and working with them.”
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/04/joachim-low-germany-northern-ireland

 

I would take retired Heynckes everyday over Enrique. As for Nagelsmann next season is too early though if he ever goes to Bayern.

 

more from Low about the Bundesliga and youth.

“Those six games which were lost in international competition are certainly slightly alarming,” admitted Löw ahead of the German national team’s World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast on Thursday evening and insisted that Germany can still do better – especially when it comes to promoting young talent."

“I’ve not just been thinking about it since last week but perhaps we can do better in our youth development,” he said. “Those people who claim that Germany has the best talents in the world and only Germany has talented players are wrong – because it’s not true.”

Germany might be the reigning world champions in international football but Löw highlighted the relative lack of trophies won by German teams in international club competitions in recent years.

Indeed, since 1997, when Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League and Schalke won the UEFA Cup in the same season, Bayern Munich are the only German team to have won a European competition – the Champions League in 2001 and 2013, the latter in an all-German final against Dortmund. In the same period, Spanish clubs have won a total of 16 major European titles, English clubs have won eight and Italian clubs have won four.

“It’s a bit of a misconception to say that just because we have a lot of young talents, we’re going to win everything in future,” Löw continued. “If you go back over this century, you have to say that Germany hasn’t actually won that many titles in the past 16, 17 years.”

“So when people say the Bundesliga is the best league in the world, perhaps they should ask themselves if that’s really the case.”
http://deathrattlesports.com/joachim-low-alarmed-by-german-clubs-performances-in-europe/90474

 

a slight update from Low.
"We have to recognise this. We scout football every day, in France, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. We know what happens in South America. In France, Spain and England they are overwhelmed with young players We know there is talent all around the world and the Bundesliga isn't the be-all and end-all."