Germany’s repeated disappointments at the World Cup stem from deeper structural, political and cultural issues within German society, Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro has argued.
Carro pointed to recent tournament history, with Germany—four-time champions—being knocked out in the last 32 by Paraguay in June. He noted that the setback followed earlier exits at the group stage in both 2018 and 2022.
Carro, who took charge at Leverkusen in 2018, has been credited with helping steer the club to its first Bundesliga title in 2024, before they also lifted the German Cup that same season.
Speaking at age 61, Carro said Germany still possesses top-level talent, but that the pathway to the highest stage appears to have weakened.
“Germany still have outstanding individual players, but we surely need to look closely at where we are now—it seems like there are fewer players coming through to the top level,” he said.
He stressed that the solution must start earlier, calling for stronger investment in youth development and closer alignment between education and sport.
“There needs to be greater investment in youth development, including a better integration of school and sports,” Carro added.
Infrastructure also, in his view, plays a major role, but he warned that progress can be stymied by slow administrative processes.
“A state of the art, modern infrastructure is a key figure as well… projects that improve these conditions are too often slowed down by bureaucracy and lengthy decision-making,” he said.
Carro insisted the challenge is not confined to training grounds and planning documents, suggesting there is also a wider cultural element involved.
“The issue goes beyond facilities and structures. There is also a cultural dimension,” the Spaniard added.
To illustrate how slow approval can affect sporting progress, Carro highlighted Leverkusen’s own struggle to secure permission for a new training complex.
He said the club has been waiting almost a decade for clearance on a new training centre, even after scaling the project back from its original ambition.
“We are still struggling with approvals despite identifying a suitable site,” Carro said. “That just illustrates one example of a much broader challenge here in Germany,” he added.
Carro, who is originally from Barcelona, compared Germany’s situation with other leading European teams, arguing that recent contenders have combined strong football ambition with long-term planning.
He singled out Spain — who reached the World Cup final — and France and England, who made the semi-finals, describing their approach as built on drive, stability and togetherness.
“World Cup finalists Spain and semi-finalists France and England succeeded due to ‘enormous ambition, resilience and collective strength,’” Carro said.
He also pointed to geography and consistency, saying Germany can learn from neighbours that have been investing steadily in modern facilities and development systems.
“There are always things you can learn from other countries and systems. With Spain, England and France, you have three of the four World Cup semi-finalists literally next door,” Carro added.
He argued those nations are similarly advanced in football, but have backed academies, modern infrastructure, coaching and player development over time.
“These are similarly developed football nations that have invested consistently in modern infrastructure and academies as well as in coaches and player development,” he said.
Germany are expected to appoint Jurgen Klopp as head coach after Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation, yet Carro believes even a highly decorated manager cannot single-handedly fix the underlying problems in German football.
“Jurgen Klopp has achieved a great deal in his career and deserves respect for that,” Carro said. “But, one coach alone cannot solve long term and structural challenges.”
He argued that the environment around the coach matters just as much—particularly the systems that produce and support players.
“The conditions around him are at least as important: a strong and modern youth development concept, state of the art infrastructure, clear performance principles and a willingness to change,” he concluded.
