Former Germany forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said the national team should approach next year’s World Cup with humility in the wake of early exits at the last two editions.
Rummenigge said in an interview with Kicker sports magazine that Germany had success when “we didn’t declare ourselves the big favourite before big tournaments.”
He recommended to the team and the national federation DFB to “present ourselves with a little more humility.”
Germany’s last big title came at the 2014 World Cup. The team went out in the group stage at the following editions in 2018 and 2022.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann has named the title the aim at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Germany reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 where they went out against eventual champions Spain in a match where an unpunished Marc Cucurella handball made big waves.
Rummenigge said that “the reason we did not become European champions was not because this handball by Spain’s Cucurella was not punished. But because other nations such as Spain, France or Croatia – and some South American teams – are ahead of us on the sporting side.”
He said the aim must be getting back towards the top for which an honest analysis and hard work are required, with the World Cup offering the next chance to achieve this.
“We were eliminated twice in the preliminary round at a World Cup. Now it would be time to play a tournament which gives German football real satisfaction again, on the sporting and emotional side,” Rummenigge said.
Former Bayern Munich player and CEO Rummenigge won Euro 1980 with West Germany, and played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals.