BERLIN (AP) – Former Germany winger Bastian Schweinsteiger says Pep Guardiola shares blame for the nationwide crew’s decline, telling British radio station Talksport that Germany misplaced its values due to the Spanish coach.
“When Pep Guardiola joined Bayern Munich, when he came to the country, everyone believed we have to play this kind of football, like short passes and everything. We were kind of losing our values,” Schweinsteiger informed Talksport on Thursday.
Schweinsteiger, who works as a TV pundit, performed beneath Guardiola for 2 seasons at Bayern following the previous Barcelona coach’s arrival in Munich in 2013. Schweinsteiger left the membership in 2015, whereas Guardiola left for Manchester City in 2016.
“I think most of the other countries were looking at Germany as a fighter, we can run until the end and everything. The strengths got lost through the last seven, eight years. We forgot about that and were more focused on playing the ball nicely to each other. That’s one of the reasons,” Schweinsteiger mentioned of Germany’s decline since 2016.
Joachim Löw was Germany coach on the time, having led the crew to the World Cup title in 2014 with Schweinsteiger enjoying a key position. Germany reached the semifinals of Euro 2016 however has dissatisfied at main tournaments since. Germany flopped with a gaggle stage exit on the 2018 World Cup, reached solely the second spherical of Euro 2020, and was knocked out within the group stage once more on the World Cup final 12 months.
Under Löw’s alternative, Hansi Flick, Germany received solely three of its 11 video games final season. The crew was whistled by its personal followers throughout and after its final recreation – a 2-0 loss at residence to Colombia final month – and confidence is low earlier than the nation hosts Euro 2024 subsequent 12 months.
Meanwhile, Guardiola has been having fun with success with City, main the Abu Dhabi-backed membership to its first Champions League title final season.
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