DFB-Team: Lahm worried about home EM: “Team seems to be without a leader”

Germany’s last world champion captain Philipp Lahm is concerned about competitiveness in view of the EM 2024 in his own country after the early exit of the DFB team at the World Cup in Qatar.

“The team seems to be without a leader. Now it’s a matter of finding the right ones, also with a view to the European Championships at home, which will start in 18 months and for which the performance is of course a disaster, so we don’t have to talk about it,” he complained 39-year-old in a column for the editorial network Germany.

The former Bayern professional criticized the defensive work in particular: “You always had the feeling that we could overrun an opponent and create opportunities – but there was a lack of defensive structure and stability, the right balance. It was sometimes a nightmare for Manuel Neuer , considering how many times players have appeared free in front of him, even against Costa Rica.” Lahm referred to the failings of national coach Hansi Flick: “Our central defenders are physically strong, but they have deficits when it comes to tactical discipline. It would have been all the more important to get used to the game in the months leading up to the tournament and to decide on one axis. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.”

The OC boss of the EM 2024 still sees potential and hopes for a turnaround: “We have many good players, great talents like Musiala, Sané, Gnabry, Havertz. But they have to take responsibility at this level. No matter what the circumstances in Qatar were, in the end you need a team that you can identify with. And if they don’t succeed, something is lost. Unfortunately, that was the case in recent years and hasn’t improved with this World Cup.”