Everyone loves "Chris" - but why?
Christoph Kramer discusses football analysis and tactics as a TV expert alongside Per Mertesacker in all areas. He is well-received by the audience and press, without which he would not continue the job.
He makes headlines by getting worked up over sensational headlines in the German media landscape regarding the European Football Championship. "Now it's called 'Kramer leads German journalism'", said Christoph Kramer in the ZDF-EM studio, and the "Spiegel" responded promptly with exactly that headline. This may be the humorous and fitting response to an active football pro as an expert who likes to say "what's up now" and who shows little understanding for debates like the one suggested by the public broadcaster regarding the term "player material". And it's also the dumb response to dumb questions, which the 33-year-old himself sometimes happily gives. But not only Chris Kramer's direct manner is popular, he can also convince fachlich - and is usually correct with his assessments.
During major tournaments, Kramer is present, no longer as a national player but since years as a TV expert. He is still a player for Borussia Mönchengladbach - with his injury-related 239 minutes of playing time in the previous season, he was hardly noticeable there.
On TV, it's different: At the opening game of Germany against Scotland, Kramer predicted a 3:0 half-time lead just 15 seconds after kick-off, which then actually happened. Partly it was luck, said Kramer, who then went deeper into the analysis. "In this European Championship, it will only come down to whether a team lets us play or not. If a team plays one against one, we have problems. If they don't - and you can tell that after 12, 15 seconds or a minute - then we have no problems." The Scots allowed Germany to dominate, resulting in a 5:1 euphoric victory.
Kramer's analysis often accurate
Kramer's analysis runs like a red thread through the tournament. Hungary also made life difficult for the German team, securing the quarterfinals with a narrow 2:0 victory. In the duel for the group win against Switzerland, weaknesses became apparent due to the team's approach and the tactically well-trained Danes also posed problems for the Nagelsmann team with this formula.
Facing the dramatic press coverage and the highs and lows in football, Kramer seems to feel called upon to counteract when necessary. After the Georgians had been declassed by the highly praised Spanish team in the quarterfinals, the German media landscape was already kneeling before the "Furia Roja". Strong in ball possession, clean positional play and 1A counter-pressing - Kramer did not want to let go of that, he explained in the podcast "Copa TS" but also pointed out the resulting opportunities.
Germany would have more space, which could be exploited with high tempo in offense. Spain had already revealed a "brutal weakness" in this regard. The rigid central defenders had problems with clearing the ball, which the Georgians had taken advantage of. Kramer expected a different Spain against Germany, less counter-attacking, with deeper positioning.
"Whoever feels attacked by 'player material' ..."
If this Kramer theory applies, more evidence needs to be shown. But it seems that there is no European Championship (EM) day when Kramer is not in the headlines with one of his statements, even if it pushes the sports action into the background. In response to ZDF moderator Katrin-Müller Hohenstein's question about whether it was the grass that caused the German national team to change shoes in pouring rain in Dortmund against Denmark, Kramer reacted annoyed. "What else could it be if not the grass?", he replied.
Dumb questions leave 33-year-old Kramer puzzled, as does debate about topics that perhaps aren't on his radar. Jochen Breyer of ZDF pointed out that he should no longer use the term "player material," and Kramer responded with confusion. "I didn't even know there was a discussion about it, and I thought Jochen was just joking," Kramer said in the "Bild" podcast. "Those who feel attacked by 'player material': I can't help you anymore," he added, as the term could be dehumanizing. This laid-back approach is appreciated by the audience, as well as the press, which loves to turn his statements into headlines. "Sport Bild" recently gave the duo Mertesacker/Kramer a grade of 1, and in the "Spiegel" ranking of the 16 current TV experts, he ranks second behind Almuth Schult.
Kramer's role in TV seems to be slipping through his fingers. "We just sit there and make a little TV. It sounds so simple, but honestly, it's not that hard," he said in the "Bild" podcast. Still, it's nice to receive praise. It boosts him to keep going. "I do it because I feel it makes perfect sense."
Sportingly, Kramer's future is uncertain. Although he still has a year contract with the Foals, the club is no longer fully convinced by his performances. His performances in the last season were inconsistent. However, his performances at the last four major tournaments have been consistently good. The 33-year-old would certainly wish that the German national team could also keep up sportingly.
After securing a broadcasting spot for the European Football Championship 2024, ZDF announced that Christoph Kramer will join their team as a TV expert, following in the footsteps of his successful coverage in previous tournaments. As DFB's valued analyst, Kramer continues to make waves in the media, often aligning with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the tournament, despite his limited playing time for the team.
