Very harsh words were spoken by Rudi Völler during the international congress for coaches of the BDFL, the Association of German Football Coaches, currently taking place in Mainz. The sporting director of the German Football Federation directly attacked the Argentinian national team, criticizing the style of play shown at the last World Cup.
The former Roma striker expressed his opposition to the idea of taking the Albiceleste as a model to follow. “I said that we in Germany need to defend better. Many have cited the Argentinians as an example. I thought that was a bad example. Suddenly, the Argentinians have become the point of reference. I found the discussion a bit hypocritical. I don’t want a team that plays like Argentina. This has nothing to do with football,” declared Völler.
His statements received applause in the packed room of coaches and football personalities. The German executive then continued: “Yes, they were world champions and this time they finished second. But I really didn’t understand all these praises from so many people. Spain deserves the praise, and England also defended very well.”
While acknowledging the results achieved by Lautaro Martínez‘s team, Völler did not spare criticism of the style he considered excessively aggressive and at times unsportsmanlike of the Argentinians, questioning the international praise they have received.
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