Former German International: Klopp Can Instill Missing Attitude in Players

Former defender Thomas Helmer believes German footballers lacked enthusiasm and passion at the World Cup, leading to their premature exit from the tournament in North America. "What worried me isn't that we don't have the best players in terms of performance or squad depth, but rather the attitude, determination, and that refusal to give up that we always had before," Helmer commented to Sport1 TV.

Helmer, a former player for Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, added that supposedly smaller teams "at least gave their all," while "here, sometimes I feel that being a national team player is no longer anything special. For me, it was the greatest thing in the world to travel for an international match – whether against Luxembourg or Brazil. It didn't matter at all."

"We need to get back to that point where the tournament also feels like something special," added the 61-year-old former defender. Helmer, who earned 68 caps for the German national team, highlighted by the 1996 European Championship title, admitted that the country is no longer among the world's elite but expressed hope that Jürgen Klopp, chosen as the new national coach, could turn things around.

"I believe he can win over the players and instill in them the right mentality and attitude that we've been missing lately. He certainly doesn't have depth or a huge selection of players, but I believe he can still get much more out of almost everyone," Helmer explained.