Ex-players urge Kimmich to quit Germany team and demand DFB leadership overhaul after World Cup flop
Following Germany's round-of-16 exit to Paraguay at the World Cup in the United States, former internationals Thomas Strunz and Dietmar Hamann have called for sweeping changes, including Joshua Kimmich's retirement from the national team and the installation of ex-players in top DFB roles.
World Cup exit triggers upheaval
Germany's campaign at the 2026 World Cup in the United States ended in the round of 16 with a defeat to Paraguay, a result described as a "debacle" by German media. The early exit has already cost coach Julian Nagelsmann his job, and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's international career is over. Now attention has turned to the squad and the German Football Association (DFB) itself.
Strunz demands former stars in DFB leadership
Former European champion Thomas Strunz used his column in Kicker to argue that merely replacing the coach is insufficient. He called for former players with club management experience to be brought into the DFB hierarchy.
We need former players who have experienced and know what success on the pitch means, who have worked in clubs, know structures and can build them.
Strunz named Fredi Bobic, who transformed Eintracht Frankfurt, as a potential DFB managing director, and suggested Oliver Kahn might also be interested. He sees Philipp Lahm, who organised Euro 2024, as an immediate candidate for DFB president. Lahm himself said he is not currently seeking a role but did not rule it out.
Hamann: Kimmich should step aside
TV pundit Dietmar Hamann went further, telling the TOMorrow Business podcast that captain Joshua Kimmich should retire from the national team. The 31-year-old has been a fixture since 2016, but Hamann noted that in five tournaments as a leading figure, Kimmich never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.
He has now had five tournaments in a responsible position. And he has not succeeded five times.
Hamann rejected the idea that stepping down would be running away, framing it instead as taking responsibility. He also questioned Kimmich's world-class status, calling him a "very, very good player" but not elite either in central midfield or at right-back. Hamann urged similar exits for Leroy Sané and Leon Goretzka, and pointed to younger talents like Felix Nmecha, Angelo Stiller, Tom Bischof and Yann Aurel Bisseck as the future.
Kimmich refuses to give up
Kimmich, speaking to MagentaTV after the Paraguay loss, made clear he has no intention of quitting.
I will always have the power for a new attempt. What I will never do is: give up.
Hamann acknowledged Kimmich's willingness to face difficult situations but insisted that a voluntary withdrawal would be a strong signal and would aid the necessary rebuild.
Structural reform needed
Strunz described the DFB as a "bureaucratic barn" and said the entire organisation needs a wave of change. He argued that one person alone cannot move the "cumbersome tanker DFB" and that the association must finally integrate former national players into its structures. The debate over personnel is set to intensify as the federation searches for Nagelsmann's successor and confronts the fallout from another disappointing tournament.
