"Stuck in mediocrity": Bastian Schweinsteiger sees a huge shortcoming in the Germany team
After the DFB team’s defeat against Greece, Bastian Schweinsteiger delivers a sobering verdict on coach Jürgen Klopp’s team.
Working as a pundit for ARD, the 2014 World Cup winner gave a blunt assessment of the Germany national team's display and did not shy away from the sore point.
"We are no longer a top team, we have arrived at mediocrity. We did not manage to shape the opposition in such a way that something happened," Schweinsteiger told the ARD microphone.
There were clear positives in patches, but the DFB team as a whole did not create "enough pressure" to trouble strong opponents. In the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands last Thursday, Germany had still "done it better", Schweinsteiger felt.
For him, the long-serving FC Bayern Munich midfielder said the team are missing players "who make the difference". In the Greece side, he picked out Konstantinos Karetsas, Christos Tzolis and Vangelis Pavlidis.
That was expressly not criticism of national coach Klopp. The national coach had called up many players, some of whom had never even been on the pitch together before. "Klopp is not the magician. It is hard work. But the players also have to question themselves a little: Is that all?" Schweinsteiger said.
What is the DFB team's group situation in the Nations League?
Responding to the criticism from his former national-team team-mate, captain Joshua Kimmich admitted they are currently a long way from being a top team. "That has to be said. What distinguishes a team like that is that they beat supposedly weaker opponents, and we have not done that. We did not beat the Netherlands and lost today. But that is not decisive right now."
Over 90 minutes against the 2004 European champions, the DFB team were slightly the better side, but failed to turn their dominance into goalscoring chances. Greece, meanwhile, repeatedly looked dangerous on the counter, including when Dimitrios Kourbelis struck for the decisive 1-0 in the 74th minute.
After the defeat, Klopp's team sit third in Group 2 of the Nations League after two matchdays. Greece lead on six points, with the Netherlands on four. The DFB eleven face Serbia next Thursday, with their next opponents still without a point.
