Lahm on German football’s identity crisis

Philipp Lahm’s articles in The Athletic are one of my favourite perks of remaining subscribed to the New York Times. Having watched him as a midfielder for both Bayern and the German mannschaft, his tactical appreciation for the game and grounded philosophy come as no surprise to me. His recent article on Germany crashing out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the knockout stages is one example. ‘The disallowed goal was a harsh decision, and to my mind a wrong one,’ says Lahm, ‘but you cannot let the night hang on that. You have to settle the game long before it comes down to a single moment.’ I would strongly agree. Tah’s goal being disallowed was unjust, and, I have noticed, when such moments happen in football your mind quickly goes to the same fundamental question every time: has the team facing this injustice played so far like they deserved to win? In Germany’s case the answer was a resounding no. The attack was ‘passive down the flanks’, Wirtz was lost on the wing, the midfield was…