The last time Oliver Bierhoff left it this late for Germany, he was a hero. Twenty-six years on from his golden goal in the Euro '96 final, Bierhoff's timing isn't as good.
In the moments after another early World Cup exit, the 54-year-old German national team director admitted that after three bad tournaments in a row he had little evidence to argue his case. Nevertheless, the former striker found time to say he still felt good about himself in the job.
"It was an intense, exciting and informative time in which we celebrated great successes together, dealt with setbacks and implemented extraordinary projects," Bierhoff said in a statement. "My work was always driven by the conviction of giving my all for the DFB and the national teams."
These are the words of a man who has been far too comfortable for far too long. There is no denying Bierhoff helped modernize German football and contributed to Germany reaching the semifinals or better at six consecutive major tournaments between 2006 and 2014.
He also created and established the expensive, long-term project of Germany's new football academy hub in Frankfurt. But, like former head coach Joachim Löw, Bierhoff stayed too long.
"He will always be linked with the World Cup success in Brazil," German FA (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf said after Bierhoff's departure. "Even in turbulent times he always followed goals and visions."
And yet, like with former head coach Löw, herein lies the problem. The success of 2014 lingered so long that Bierhoff became untouchable — and German football has paid a price for taking so long to react.
Disconnected
Under Bierhoff, the team became more of a brand and less of a beacon. The marketing machine took over as Bierhoff failed to build on a reinvigorated German fan base following the magical 2006 home World Cup. Instead, the official Fanclub Nationalmannschaft left German support cold, ticket prices soared and an endless flurry of laughable hashtags arrived.
The establishment of #DieMannschaft (The Team) as a team nickname became a joke that Germany still can't shake. The abbreviation of the German word for together ("zusammen" / #ZSMN) looked ridiculous and the #BestNeverRest approach, a Mercedes slogan, was ridiculed, amongst many other reasons, because the best very much do rest.
The choice of the Campo Bahia resort in 2014 worked so well that Bierhoff eventually became blinded by the idea, constantly looking to recreate the same atmosphere. In Russia, the choice of Vatutinki, another isolated environment, over Sochi didn't help. In Qatar, the decision to be 110 kilometers north of Doha in yet another removed luxury resort and training inside a fort continued Germany's disconnection from the real world. Like Löw, Bierhoff didn't adapt.
Off the field, he failed to handle the Mesut Özil situation correctly, and this year in Qatar, admitted that the controversy over the One Love captain's armband could have been dealt with better. After the disaster in 2018, both he and Löw admitted they were arrogant and complacent. That it took four more years for both to leave smacks of perilous levels of power inside an organization unable to challenge them.
Eighteen years near the top of an organization is too long for any person. The positive aspects of the 54-year-old's time in charge have faded. What remains is a team in a sporting slump that waited too long to shed the masterminds of 2014.
Edited by Matt Ford.