Former international player Carsten Ramelow believes that Germany is facing a mentality issue that is holding them back.
Ramelow warned that simply relying on talent is not enough to secure victories. Germany recently suffered a 2-0 defeat to Colombia in a friendly match, marking their third loss in their last four games.
In another game during this stretch, they managed a 3-3 draw against Ukraine through a late comeback in a charity match.
The disappointing performance continued for Germany in the 2022 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
Ramelow, who was a World Cup runner-up in 2002, suggests that German football as a whole is grappling with a mentality problem.
“I think there’s multiple issues. That was not just about a bad performance in Qatar. The problems lie much deeper,” he told Stats Perform.
“This is what aggravates everything. Having seen the game yesterday, I have only seen 15 minutes, that was enough. It shows which state the team has been in for weeks and months. Or maybe you have to say years.
“In that regard, we have big problems in Germany concerning youth players. I think [the team] lacks mentality. Talent alone doesn’t win you games. Talent alone also doesn’t bring you team spirit.
“People talk a lot about team spirit. Where is that team spirit? All those years, we have been saying that we have great talent. Maybe that’s true but after this long period of suffering, you have to recognise that we have a lot of talent, but as I said, it lacks mentality, it lacks team spirit.
“We are not able to form a team, a unit. Be it Hansi Flick or any other coach, and you can see that in many Bundesliga teams. I think mentality is very, very important. A manager once told me something I will never forget: ‘Passion is more important than skill’.
“You have to see how the players will develop. I don’t know when it continues, in September or October. The ones that will be available then. There is quality but currently but at the moment this is not enough to compete with teams like [Colombia] or Ukraine and Poland.”
Ramelow sympathises with Flick, and is unsure a change of coach would necessarily result in a change of fortunes. The pressure, though, is on ahead of Euro 2024.
“I think we all agree that the coach and his staff have an important role,” he added. “We know what the business is like and the fact that the manager has to listen to a lot of criticism now is justified.
“He also accepts that. I see a lot of helplessness right now. No one in the interviews can say how things will continue. We all know we have good young players, which is fine, but to reach the final stages of an international tournament again is being considered very difficult. But what is the solution now?
“I feel like the manager had a lot of helplessness. He won’t give up and it will go on as he said. He wants to prepare well for the next games. His task is to put a good team together and to bring back passion and mentality. You have to see a unit.
“Mentality is also a matter of character. A coach can barely train that. You either have it or you don’t but he has to form a team and the results have to be good. I’m not saying anything new here, the business is tough. I think you could put anyone else on the touchline, it would be difficult for every coach.”