Bernd Schuster (62 years old), living football history, attends Qatar 2022 as a commentator. But he never played a World Cup. Because he didn’t want to. He resigned from the German national team after leading it by winning Euro 1980 at just 20 years old.
There were several problems. The first time I had two games in one week, a friendly against Brazil and a qualifying game against Norway, and I wanted to go and Barcelona wouldn’t let me because in between there was a Cup game against Rayo. I was very young and playing against the Brazil of Zico, Sócrates, Junior… I didn’t want to miss it for anything. And I left without permission from the club. I had a lot of trouble in Barcelona. In the end we managed to play 45 minutes and then I traveled to get to Vallecas on time. We won 0-6. But the team told me that I no longer needed to come back for the second game, as punishment for the mess I made. There I left the national team for the first time and I missed the World Cup in Spain. And when my second child was about to be born, it coincided with a friendly from Germany. I wanted to be present at the birth and it created a lot of problems for me in Germany, in the press you can imagine… it was all points so that later I would miss the World Cups that I haven’t played… Today I really regret not having played one .
How did you feel watching up to three German finals without playing them?
I had to watch my friend Diego’s final against Germany in Mexico, it was very hard not to be there, but it was my decision. Sometimes you make very difficult decisions, but you have to be aware that you have to live with it. That generation of mine of Matthaus, Littbarski, Voller, Brehme… won the rematch against Argentina in Rome in 1990 and I saw it again on television. Over time it hurts a lot not to have been there.
After Mexico 86, Beckenbauer asked him to come back. Why didn’t he do it?
There was a rapprochement with Beckenbauer, with Adidas… but I no longer saw myself integrated into that team, three years had passed and I no longer saw myself in that team and I left it permanently. And I missed two World Cups and won one, which is even worse…
Maradona, Futre, you… Do you need that difficult character to be a star?
Yes, totally. If we analyze the big stars at that time… My countryman Beckenbauer was a very difficult guy. Cruyff, Netzer, Breitner… They had a lot of personality, they were very demanding, they wanted to win everything, they wanted quality around them and that created conflicts. In Germany we had many stars in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Matthaus and Klinsmann, due to their mentality, due to their demands, had many conflicts with coaches, with clubs… With less teammates, because Diego, for example, always had his entire team To his back.
Messi is less confrontational.
Yes, but that does not mean that he is not a leader on the pitch. There are many types of leadership. Diego was also very expressive outside and created a lot of conflicts outside. Messi perhaps wasn’t looking for this so much, but I’ve heard that on the field, in the locker room, in order to win, he always wanted the most from his teammates to surround him and succeed. He is a quieter leader on the outside, but very strong on the inside.
Are there no different footballers anymore?
Yes, but less. Until 2000 there were always outstanding players, stars from each country: Ronaldo, Zidane… But after 2000 this stopped a bit. The players mark fewer and fewer differences. There are (De Bruyne, Neymar, Mbappé…), but you have to give them the freedom to get everything out. And now teams are formed that all work together, a much more positional game, without so much freedom. Soccer has changed.
Is football more boring now?
There is more and more equality, teams that have no solution, that do not have players that change the games, that surprise. Now in the World Cups there are games that you don’t see anything, that are face to face, but with a very low level.
Are there different in the Spanish team?
Spain has been very lucky in the last 15 years, with that glorious team that won two European Championships and the World Cup. With an Iniesta, let us never forget, that he made a difference, that he had that facility. There was a short break and now players like Pedri and Gavi, Olmo, Asensio have returned… Talents that are going to mark an important era once again.
Any player you missed on Luis Enrique’s list?
Luis Enrique said: “I take players who may not be the best in his team, but who are worth it to me and because of the idea I have.” I would like this to be respected, I would never criticize it. Although I, surely, would have taken one of the ones that are not there.
You said “the star is always the player”. In Spain, the star is Luis Enrique and he even boasts.
I totally agree with that. Something similar happens in Germany. We don’t have a team with ‘superstars’. We don’t have an Mbappé, a Neymar, a Cristiano, a Messi… Neither in Germany nor in Spain. Normally the stars are usually the players, but when there are no cracks you have to take a step forward in your team and be the star yourself. That’s what Luis Enrique has done, taking a step forward in the face of the lack of stars. That seems perfect to me. Correct and necessary.
Now he has become a ‘streamer’.
That is the future. Little by little we have to advance, we are seeing many new things and that the coach talks to the people, that he answers, that he listens, it is a decision that he has made and it seems good to him. I don’t see it as a negative, it will be the future maybe for others who are going to sign up too.
What do you think of the controversy in your selection with the rainbow bracelet?
It’s complicated. On the one hand you have to defend this, you feel obligated as a player, but FIFA prohibits you from doing so with sanctions. They shouldn’t have waited until the last day. You have to go to football, to sports. I saw that the German minister was in the stands with the bracelet, yes. Let them go Don’t use the players. Many times we are used for these things and they hide behind. That they go, the Federation, the politicians, and that the players dedicate themselves to playing.
Many media outlets in his country speak of shame, that they have bowed down to FIFA. The public television ARD has come to say that it was better “to lose points and be eliminated with the bracelet than to be world champion without the bracelet.”
Totally excessive. There they are wrong. We know the situation, there was a lot of time before the World Cup to talk about this and there will be time after. Honestly, I’m only interested in football, not if they can have a beer or in what condition they are there. And when the World Cup is over everyone will forget about this. But now they want to take advantage.
Is that why Japan surprised Germany?
The lineup was already amazing. Flick did something similar to Luis Enrique, he put two players in defense that was his first World Cup, a center back like Sule playing as a right back and the starting full back on the bench… and it didn’t go well. Germany did not know how to react to the change in the Japanese system with three centrals and high pressure, there were defensive errors. The changes to Musiala and Gundogan also surprised me because they were the ones who had the ideas to create chances and take away the damage to the team.
How do you anticipate Spain-Germany? Can Germany play with fear of failure?
Fear man… there will be worry. But Germany was not one of the great favourites, there was no talk that they had to win the World Cup, they are in a period of change. Watching the Spain match doesn’t help you at all. They can win, but they have to play a great game, serious, very complete in attack and defense. And there is one more point to add, Japan plays Costa Rica first and with a victory for Japan, Germany is not even worth a draw. This can be more pressure.
Is Spain a favorite then to beat Germany?
Before the World Cup I saw the two teams very similar, without big stars, little problems together, in defense. Although with Spain it was not seen because Costa Rica did not even reach the door. Simón did not even have to throw himself to the ground. With Germany it will be different, there is a team with a much higher level. But now Spain is the favorite, yes.
Do you see Spain with options to win this World Cup?
Spain has an advantage, it already happened a bit in the last Eurocup, and it is that it lives a lot of emotions, and in a match-by-match tournament it goes further. Since Spain broke that barrier of showing that it could win a European Championship, a World Cup… it is no longer a “I don’t know if we can”… Now Spain is a team capable of reaching the final. There are Brazil and France, the squads they have in all positions are incredible, but you have to play on the field. Spain has already taken a first step and must now be first or second in the group.
If Spain is first, it could meet Brazil in the quarterfinals. Better to be second?
I don’t like this. But come on, let’s see what you want, Brazil in the quarterfinals or in the final? If you want to be champion you have to win it the same in the quarterfinals as in the final. I see it easy and I’m not worried. Are we going to lose to be second? Are you winning and tell the boys to let themselves tie? It is impossible. If you want to be champion you have to beat Brazil whenever.
