What to expect from “Die Mannschaft”? (Germany’s perspectives)

The value of uncertainty avoidance affects people’s motivation to take unfamiliar risks. In low uncertainty avoidant cultures risks are taken for positive reasons: being successful, to win, to get rich, to be powerful , etc.
In countries with a high uncertainty avoidance like Germany the motivation to take risks is more negative. The motivation is mostly: to avoid failure, not to be defeated, not to loose out, etc. Non Germans know very well: the Germans are most dangerous when they are 0-1 behind. Then suddenly there is an enormous drive and energy to get even and to win.

This is the explanation of the famous saying of Sepp Herberger who lead the German team to victory at the 1954 World Championships in Switzerland: “Das Spiel dauert 90 Minuten”. If you are behind don’t give up! It should be an extra motivation to win.

Gary Lineker, the revered English international, said it even stronger in his definition of soccer: “A game where 20 men run behind a ball for 90 minutes and where at the end the Germans always win.”

What does this all mean for the coming World Cup? The situation is very favorable for the German team. Because of the disastrous preparation period there is a very big fear that the team will go down the drain. From the above it can be inferred that this is a very strong motivator to show the real strength.

I predict: the German team will be the big surprise during the WM 2006
Do you agree with this prediction and want to have the chance to win a free spot on one of the Public Seminars on Intercultural Management held in Germany? Send us an email and write down in the topic "I predict Germany will be the big surprise". Should this prediction come through you will participate in a lottery and might win a free spot on our Public Seminar!

The question is if Jürgen Klinsmann is the right coach for the well oiled machine style. Some people wonder whether a coach living in California can make the team successful ... implying that the poor man is influenced (spoiled) by the Anglo-Saxon culture. I think this is the wrong analysis. The problem is that Klinsmann fits the Dutch-Scandinavian expectations of a soccer personality. And the real question is, if this type of personality will ever be able to make the right choices in managing the well oiled machine.

Let me approach this from the Dutch side (I’m writing this in an orange shirt. I cannot help it!) It is not a coincidence that the most popular player of Bayern München in the Netherlands during the mid-nineties was Jürgen Klinsmann. He was exactly what the people in total soccer countries liked in a person (as far as we could see that from a distance, of course). He was a player with a refined technique. He was modest, civilized and a soft spoken person. The most hated player was Lothar Matthäus. He was considered to be aggressive, hostile, tough and ruthless. In short everything that a player from a masculine country like Germany is supposed to be.

Now look at the choices Klinsmann is making. What is the nowadays player personifying that kind of profile? Right: Oliver Kahn. He has all the attributes to make the adversary afraid, like Matthäus in the past. What kind of player is the preference of Klinsmann? Right!!!

Speaking for all non-Germans: thank you for that choice. It will make the task for our wingers a little bit less frightening!

I predict: Germany will not survive the first games!
Do you agree with this prediction and want to have the chance to win a free spot on one of the Public Seminars on Intercultural Management held in Germany? Send us an email and write down in the topic "I predict Germany will not survive". Should this prediction come through you will participate in a lottery and might win a free spot on our Public Seminar!