Cited in all guises as a winning economic system (even by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who stakes everything on his friendship with Angela Merkel to be re-elected to the Elysée), Germany is also becoming a footballing model.
Not only for the excellent results, which saw the Mannschaft reach the final of the last European Championships and the semifinals of the South African World Cup two years ago (defeated both times by Spain, then winners), but for forward-looking planning and investments that have made it the happy island of the European ball, notoriously swamped by debts and in crisis of viewers and image.
Germany, on the other hand, seems to have it all: excellent academies, a rejuvenated national team (the average age in South Africa is 24) and driven by stars of international caliber such as Mezut Ozil and Thomas Muller, always full (and modern) stadiums, and profitable clubs, unlike what happens in the other continental championships, Spain and Italy above all.
The origin of all this is not accidental but result of a project started 10 years ago by the managers of the Football League (DFL), which after the glories of the Matthaus era (won a World Cup and a European Championship) did not rest on its laurels (as happens elsewhere…) and in 2001, immediately after the shame of elimination in the first round in the Belgian -Dutch from the year before, she immediately ran for cover. Not frantically (as, once again, elsewhere ..) but looking far beyond your nose.
Since the 2002, all 36 clubs in Bundesliga 1 and 2 to obtain the license are required to have a training center to match and field a team in all age categories starting from under 12. The result? This is illustrated by Christian Seifert, president of the League: “This season, the nurseries host a total of 5.000 kids: 515 million euros have been invested in the last ten years, of which 90 this year. Here because 57% of Bundesliga players (275 out of 525, ed) are German nationals, the highest percentage since 1999”. And that's not all: the statute of the League forces all professional clubs, starting with the under 16 teams, to field at least 12 players eligible for the national category.
All this benefits the national team led by Joachim Löw, who despite not winning a trophy since 1996, he occupies second place in the FIFA world rankings, behind only Spain of the invincibles. And above all he is young, plays fast and fun football and is also "multi-cultural", as evidenced by the presence of several players of foreign origin but born and raised in Angela Merkel's country: the "Turkish" Ozil, the "Tunisian ” Khedira, the “Ghanaian” Boateng (brother of the Rossoneri Kevin Prince).
Clearly, this explosion of football and youth (the league's average age is 25) could not leave German fans indifferent to the fact that they continue to fill stadiums: the Bundesliga has the highest attendance in Europe with an average of 42 spectators per game, enjoy the 2,82 goals per match (also a continental record) and thrilled by the possibility of seeing almost all the competitive teams, as confirmed by the fact that the last 5 championships have seen five different champions.
Not just Bayern, in short, and not just entertainment and goals. Money too. The turnover of German football continues to grow (1,9 billion euros) and above all his clubs are making more and more profits: +52,5 million in the last year, after taxes. Twelve of the 18 first division companies closed the last financial year with profits, which allowed investments, for example, in stadiums, which are among the most modern in the world, above all the Allianz Arena in Munich. The most important data, especially in terms of financial fair play, concerns the debt/revenue ratio, which Germany limits to 39%, compared to the European average of 65% and some leagues in much worse shape: Spain 246%, Italy 156%, England 129%.
This is precisely the key to success: while waiting to start winning again (even in the Champions League a Teutonic success has been missing since 2001 with Bayern Munich), Germany has already built the future. His teams are up to date with their budgets, the youngsters are growing up, the public is having fun, the national team has opened a cycle that no other in Europe and in the world can boast in terms of quality and prospects. And in May, the Champions League final is played in Munich. Deutschland über alles.
