How Spain is massively influencing German soccer
Germany against Spain can be considered as an anticipated final match of the UEFA European Football Championship. The two national teams play an elegant possession football. This is not by chance. A look back.
When Germany and Spain met in the EURO 2008 final, there were still vast differences between the two football nations. Sixteen years later, they have significantly narrowed the gap – mainly due to the Spanish influence on German football. Bundestrainer Joachim Löw allowed the team to play a more dominant possession football during the 2010 World Cup – with a revamped squad centered around Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller, and others.
Previously, the team was heavily focused on athleticism and system stability. The German team then began to play a more dominating possession football – until they faced Spain in the 2010 World Cup semifinal and were knocked out. This football resembled that which Pep Guardiola had practiced and refined with FC Barcelona for years. The positional play and Guardiola's extensive influence on the German national team became apparent after 2008, especially when he took over as coach of FC Bayern Munchen in 2013.
Before his tenure began, Bayern won the Champions League title in the Wembley final against Borussia Dortmund. The significant difference from the "home final" at their own Allianz Arena the previous year, where Bayern had failed against Chelsea: Javi Martínez. The Basque midfielder provided the defensive base stability that Bayern had lacked until 2012/13. Martínez continued to play an important role, even though Guardiola often used him in central defense.
Guardiola attempted to change some tactical things compared to his predecessor Jupp Heynckes. Not because he disapproved of Heynckes' work, but because he realized the Bayern needed new impulses to remain competitive internationally. With him came a former Barcelona player – Thiago Alcantara. This player could not quite emerge from the shadows of Andres Iniesta and Xavi in Barcelona, but he left his footprints at Bayern over the following years.
Only Thiago's persistent injury concerns hindered his influence on Bayern's play. Otherwise, the passing artist was usually influential in the team's build-up and shaping of the game. His true coronation came just before his departure from Munich. During the Champions League Final 2020, which was held during the Corona times, Thiago directed FC Bayern to another Henkelpot win. Towards the end of his tenure, the ball artist was widely admired.
In the meantime, the German national team won the 2014 World Cup with a mix of Heynckes-oriented stability and athletic football and Guardiola-inspired possession football. However, the pendulum swung more and more towards Guardiola's tactics regarding the German team's tactical alignment. However, Germany did not always have the right player types, and Löw could not find the necessary balance between long possession phases and releasing attacks into the final third.
An encounter of footballing relatives
This text describes how the German and Spanish national football teams have evolved over the years, with a focus on the influence of Pep Guardiola and his tactics on the German team. The text also mentions Javi Martínez and Thiago Alcantara, two players who played significant roles in Guardiola's teams at FC Barcelona and Bayern Munchen, and how they impacted the German team. The text also discusses how the German team's tactics shifted from a focus on stability and athleticism to a more possession-based style, influenced by Guardiola's Barcelona teams. The text also mentions the 2010 World Cup and the 2014 World Cup, where Germany faced Spain and won, respectively. The text also mentions the Champions League titles won by Bayern Munchen during Guardiola's tenure and how Thiago Alcantara played a role in those titles. Overall, the text provides an insight into the development of the German and Spanish national football teams and the influence of Pep Guardiola on the German team.
One should know that Guardiola, as Manchester City's manager in recent years, has adapted his football a piece further. City played with numerous crosses at times and is now considerably more traditional in terms of defensive security. In the past season, Guardiola sometimes had half a dozen defensive players on the pitch. The German team, however, never really found the balance. However, the current German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann seems to be doing much better, although the German team was a bit careless defensively before and at the beginning of the European championship.
In the Bundesliga, another Spaniard has been making headlines recently: Xabi Alonso. As Bayer Leverkusen's manager, he not only shook up the Werkself fiercely, but even dethroned Bayern Munich with patient passing football. Alonso, who himself served two years as a player under Guardiola at Bayern, is following in the footsteps of his compatriot. He does this, however, with his own brand of football, which is also geared towards dominance but in no way a pure copy of Barcelona's former position play.
The Spanish national team, which has looked like the strongest team at this EM so far, plays dominantly because not only the ball, but also the field is controlled through the strong midfield pivot. Rodrigo as the defensive midfielder behind the offensive players is one of the best in the world in counter-pressing and overall ball recovery. Spain generates through-ball power not so much from Alonso's Leverkusen's one-on-one players on the wings, but rather from their strong central players. There is also a difference to the German team, which is mainly occupied with Jamal Musiala and co. in the narrow intermediate spaces. In general, however, both teams are quite similar - in any case much more similar than at the 2008 final.
Javier Martinez, who played a pivotal role in Bayern Munchen's defense during Guardiola's tenure, also had an impact on the German national team's style of play. Xabi Alonso, another Spanish coach, has been successful with Bayer Leverkusen, implementing a patient passing game reminiscent of his time under Guardiola at Bayern. The current Spanish national team, featuring players like Rodrigo in the midfield, has controlled both the ball and the field throughout the European Football Championship 2024, showcasing a dominating style similar to the German team.
