As of: March 8, 2024, 12:52 p.m
By: Philipp Kessler
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Jamal Musiala from FC Bayern starts dribbling.
© Tobias Schwarz / AFP
In the series “The Red (R)evolution” the tz compares yesterday and today at FC Bayern.
In part 1, Lothar Matthäus and Jamal Musiala explain how the playmaker role has changed.
Munich - FC Bayern, forever number one… Every football fan knows the red club anthem.
But how did the Munich team actually get to the top?
How did this development go and what are the differences to the current generation of players and fans?
In the
series
The Red (R)evolution, the tz looks for clues and compares yesterday and today at the largest club in the world.
Part 1 is about what is probably the most elegant position on the field: the playmaker.
After all, for years it was tens like Zidane, Maradona and Netzer who provided the magical moments and the big titles.
These days, the classic playmaker is becoming increasingly rare - why is that?
To answer this, tz
spoke
to two of the record champions' influential midfielders: Lothar Matthäus and Jamal Musiala.
The two exceptional talents from the past and present reveal how the role of the classic ten has changed.
Lothar Matthäus is a former world footballer.
© Revierfoto / Imago
This is what Matthew says about the playmaker role
Lothar Matthäus (62) is always in the middle of the action - whether as a former world-class footballer or as a Sky expert for years.
The record national player once wore the number ten on his shirt and is listed as a playmaker on the websites of the German Sports Hall of Fame and FC Bayern.
Although he never saw himself that way.
“From my point of view, they were different types of players.
“I’m thinking more of elegant footballers like Felix Magath, Hansi Müller, Bernd Schuster or Diego Maradona,” explains Matthäus to the
tz
and explains his opinion: “In the past, as a playmaker you didn’t have to work backwards at all.
Others looked after them defensively.
Günter Netzer, for example, had Rainer Bonhof.
Wolfgang Overath also had his water carriers.”
But it is also a fact: Matthäus has repeatedly stimulated the game in his teams and directed the game himself as a libero or in the middle of the midfield.
Yes, he was busy with defensive duties.
But he also caused a stir offensively again and again.
Virtually every attack was directed at the 1990 world champion and 1991 world footballer.
“I was a playmaker in my own way,” says Matthäus.
“I worked backwards a lot, led duels and tried to make the game quick after winning the ball.
I also wanted to put the people in front of me in the spotlight offensively, give assists or score goals myself with shots from a distance.”
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Matthäus shaped football with his style of play.
The classic aesthetes hardly exist anymore.
“In my time, the playmakers were the tens.
“I don’t see exactly that type of player anymore,” said Matthäus, who was obviously ahead of his time with his style of play.
“Jamal Musiala is the closest thing to a classic playmaker.
He goes to the top with dribbling,” he analyzes his successor in the FC Bayern jersey.
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (20) is similar to the Bayern star.
Matthäus: “Nowadays the creative players also have defensive tasks without the ball. That’s the big difference compared to before.
I would say there are now hanging playmakers.”
The question arises: When did FC Bayern have the last classic director?
Matthäus is thinking of Real director Toni Kroos (34), who moved to Madrid in 2014.
“Toni was one of those people.
But one who operates more from the figure eight position.
He also does that at Real Madrid, similar to Luka Modric.” He also sees Leverkusen’s successful coach and former Bayern star Xabi Alonso (42) in a similar category, but a position further back.
“For me, Alonso was also a playmaker from the six,” says Matthäus.
“I also think of Bastian Schweinsteiger, but in his own way.
Joshua Kimmich could also be described as a hanging playmaker in the defensive midfield.” After him, no director in football has been so dynamic and with strengths in both defense and offense.
This is what Musiala says about the playmaker role
This vote was perhaps even worth more than the Kopa trophy itself. When voting for the best U21 player in Europe, Jamal Musiala (21) only came in second at the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the end of October.
When the voting of the former world footballers was published, the Bayern star still had a lot to be happy about.
Lionel Messi (36/Inter Miami), the superstar among superstars, voted for him.
“I found that to be a very great honor,” says Musiala to
tz
.
“Messi was always my role model when I was a child.
I always watched his games and admired him for his game.”
National coach Julian Nagelsmann (36) even sees parallels between his former Bayern protégé and Argentina's eight-time world footballer.
Musiala has “movements that you have seen and still see in Messi,” emphasizes the coach.
However: Compared to the reigning world champion, who mainly acts as a false nine, the German international is more of a playmaker type.
Although Musiala has recently been used more frequently on the wing at FC Bayern, he feels most comfortable in the tenth position behind the strikers.
“I try to be free and play my game within the framework of our coach’s tactical guidelines,” Musiala explains his style of play.
“In England they always talked about freedom of play.
I like this term.
In general, I try to have a positive impact on our game on the ten: initiating moves, preparing goals and scoring goals myself.”
Musiala was trained in the youth department of Chelsea FC.
“I initially played a lot there as a striker and always scored a lot of goals.
I love scoring goals.
As time went on, I was moved further back to the ten so that I could have more of the game in front of me,” remembers Musiala.
The move to FC Bayern followed in 2019 – for the bargain sum of 250,000 euros.
At the record champions he was able to adopt aspects of his game as a ten in various positions.
“I can also use my strengths well on the wings.
In the center on the six and eight, I got to know the game from a different position and was able to improve my tactical behavior and defensive skills.
Also working against the ball and leading the duel.
“Those were good experiences,” said Musiala, who particularly caused a stir with his dribbling.
He took inspiration early on from Neymar (32, Al-Hilal), Ronaldinho (43), Lothar Matthäus (62) and Messi.
Musiala: “I always watched a lot of games and then copied the tricks and skills that I saw in the game in the garden or on the street with my father or while playing football with friends.
I always had fun doing it and that certainly helped me get my dribbling to a good level.”
What is still missing from him to be the perfect playmaker: for example the number ten on the back.
His friend Leroy Sané (28) wears them at FC Bayern.
Musiala's number 42 now also stands for playmaking quality.
Best example: 1. FC Nürnberg deliberately gave their tenth and top scorer Can Uzun (18) the Musiala number as a statement.
Philip Kessler