Bayer Leverkusen President: Germany Suffers from Structural Failures
Berlin – AFP – Fernando Carro, the chief executive of German football club Bayer Leverkusen, said that Germany’s repeated failures at the World Cup stem from structural, political, and cultural problems in German society.
The four-time World Cup champions were eliminated from the tournament after losing on penalties to modest Paraguay (3-4, 1-1 after extra time) in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup in North America, following exits in the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
Since taking over at Bayer Leverkusen in 2018, Carro has helped lead the club to its first-ever Bundesliga title in 2024, as well as winning the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in the same season.
Carro, 61, told AFP: “Germany still possesses outstanding individual players, but we certainly need to carefully reassess our current situation, as it appears that the number of players reaching the highest levels has declined.”
He added: “There is a need to increase investment in youth talent development, including better integration between school and sports.”
He continued: “Modern and advanced infrastructure is also a key element. Projects aimed at improving these conditions often stumble due to bureaucracy and lengthy decision-making processes.”
The Spaniard pointed out that “the issue goes beyond facilities and infrastructure; there is also a cultural dimension.” Carro noted that Bayer Leverkusen has been waiting for nearly a decade for approval to build a new training center, despite scaling down the project from its original scope. “We still face difficulties in obtaining approvals despite identifying a suitable location,” he said, adding that this is “just one example of a much broader challenge here in Germany.”
Carro, who hails from Barcelona, said that Spain, France, and England, which reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, succeeded thanks to “tremendous ambition, perseverance, and collective strength.” He continued: “We can always learn from other countries and systems. Spain, England, and France, for example, are geographically close to Germany.” He added: “These are similarly advanced footballing nations that have consistently invested in modern infrastructure and academies, as well as in the development of coaches and players.”
The German Football Association is set to appoint Jürgen Klopp as coach of the national team following the resignation of Julian Nagelsmann, but Carro stressed that the former Liverpool manager cannot solve Germany’s football problems on his own.
He concluded: “But no single coach can solve long-term structural challenges alone. The surrounding conditions are equally important: a strong and modern concept for youth talent development, advanced infrastructure, clear performance principles, and a willingness to change.”
