The german school of goalkeeping is one of the best in the world. The country has been able to produce at least 4 of the top goalkeepers of the last 20 to 25 years. These 4 are certainly going to be the focus of this article. If you look into some of the top german goalkeepers of the last couple of decades you’ll see that they come in different shapes and sizes. Also, they each play a different style of goalkeeping. This for me, is the real challenge in figuring out why are German goalkeepers so good. For example, you have the english and Premier League school of goalkeeping. For years, you’ve seen many of these goalkeepers being cut from the same cloth.
In the case of English goalkeeping it’s very clear, at least in my view that they’re trying to produce goalkeepers that are physically adequate to play in the Premier League. What do you need? You need a tall strong goalkeeper who is good between the sticks and preferably has a good aerial game. You’re going to want them to cut as many crosses as can be. The German Bundesliga essentially allows more styles to be able to work in the pro game. I do feel that this is something that has encouraged the development of such a diverse group of goalkeepers.
Even though we are dealing with a diverse group of goalkeepers we could say that there are certain characteristics that most of these goalkeepers share. Some of these characteristics coincidently are featured in the article that I wrote about how to be a great goalkeeper. Let’s get right to the point though. Why are German goalkeepers so good? Is There a way to really figure out why the German school of goalkeeping has been able to produce competent goalkeepers?
Why Are German Goalkeepers So Good?: The Last 4 Top Of The Class Graduates In The German School of Goalkeeping
I mentioned that I was going to be taking a look at for me the last 4 top german goalkeepers. There certainly have been more Germans to have great careers. Sorry, Bernd Leno you just can’t seem to make the cut in any of these articles though. For me these are the last 4 great German goalkeepers.
- Oliver Kahn
In trying to decipher why german goalkeepers are so good you can’t not take a look at the career and skill set of Oliver Kahn. Oliver Kahn boasted extreme hand security and he had that “it” that I talked about with a guy like Kasper Schimechel a few times. Players were thinking twice before they took a shot when Oliver Kahn was in goal. Although he wasn’t a sweeper keeper per se, he was always well positioned a couple of steps off the line to cut off shooting angles and make it easier on himself to reach most shots even when the shooter was standing up close.
- Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann certainly was the type of keeper that took advantage of his height. On paper maybe because of the height and the fact that his best days where at Arsenal people could slap the Premier League prototype goalkeeper on him. When you look closely though, the way that he was able to stretch out his arms and reach low running shots on a consistent basis speaks to the athleticism that we see from the german goalkeepers. At least in the last 20 years or so. His build was much different than Kahn’s, but the level of athleticism is more on par than most people would think.
- Manuel Neuer
Although none of the first two guys that I mentioned are the sweeper that Neuer is, that doesn’t mean that they’re games don’t have similarities. The athleticism that we see in the first two is maybe even more evident in Neuer. I wouldn’t say that Neuer playing so far off the line is an evolution of the German school of goalkeeping. I do feel that’s more of a personal preference for him. You do see, though, what we talked about with Lehmann. A tall goalkeeper that is superbly athletic and nimble for someone of his size.
- Marc Andre Ter Stegen
The two most famous current graduates of the german school of goalkeeping couldn’t be further apart when it comes to style. At least that’s what it would seem. Look closely though, although Ter Stegen is not a sweeper keeper by any standards he’s not uncomfortable on the ball. The athleticism exhibited by the Barcelona goalkeeper is evident day in and day out. Just turn on the film and watch some of the circus saves he makes. The ball security with him is underrated in my view.
Why Are German Goalkeepers So Good? : The Key Elements
I believe that there are a few key elements that we could point to, which make german goalkeepers good. In fact, when you look into those aspects they can also be highlighted as the reason why other goalkeepers from different countries don’t find the continued success. Here are the key elements and in fact the true answers to the question, “Why are german goalkeepers so good”.
Athleticism
The athleticism that is exhibited by Manuel Neuer as he continues to run around and make plays even well into his 30’s isn’t exactly what I’m talking about here. Of course, that can be used as an example, but I don’t think it represents the continued success. When I went back and watched Jens Lehmann with a critical eye it was amazing to see him lower his body and stretch those long arms to get to low running shots. That’s something that is way harder than it looks in goalkeeping. You saw Lehmann also have the ability to be nimble on his feet and cut off the shooting angles, particularly in the Cristiano Ronaldo play in the video.
It’s not that the other goalkeepers on the list are not athletic, I bring up Lehmann because in theory he was thought to be the stiffest of the bunch. That very well might be the case, but that’s more of a testament to the athleticism of the other 3 guys. When it comes to goalkeepers there are a couple of instances where they can really show off their athleticism. One of those is certainly being able to burst off the line and close off a shooting angle quickly. Also, reaching those low running shots. I can’t stress enough how not easy doing that is. It seems like something that any goalkeeper could do effectively, but there’s a lot of poor technique even in the pro game.
I talk about this in the article about goalkeepers needing speed. Athleticism and speed for a goalkeeper may not always be used to run all over the field as Neuer or Rene Higuita would do. We can see big strong goalkeepers who are still athletic. You’ll see the athleticism in how they are able to use their nimble feet to quickly come off the line and cut off a shooting angle. Even as they are walking the goal in a long shot. A lot of times my criticism of taller goalkeepers is that they’ll rely too much on their size to be able to reach certain shots. If you’re tall and athletic you’ll be able to cut off those angles and not necessarily have to make the save right at the top or bottom corners.
Good Hands
Two things came to mind when I was thinking about adding this as a key element that makes German goalkeepers good. Number one was the fact that the lack of ball security and good hands is exactly what led Oliver Kahn to those mistakes that essentially lost Germany the 2002 World Cup. Without a doubt those are two very high profile mistakes. The thing is for most of his career Oliver Kahn had great hands. Actually, I feel those mistakes were more a sign of over confidence than anything else. At times the goalkeepers that feel they can catch any ball will make those types of mistakes. Compared to a goalkeeper that is always used to just parrying the ball away.
The second of the case studies that I know some people could have a problem with is Ter Stegen. You’re going to see that a lot of his best saves are one handed saves that look spectacular. You can make the argument that he has a little bit of a flair for the dramatic. I wouldn’t say though that Ter Stegen is not a goalkeeper with soft hands. Yes, he’ll maybe punch away a ball that he could have held once in a while. You maybe won’t be getting the hand security that you’ll see from Neuer for example. I don’t think that you could label him a goalkeeper without safe hands.
Most of these goalkeepers have very traditional catching techniques. It’s not that new techniques can’t work. I mentioned in the Juventus article that if you look into Gianluigi Buffon’s technique you’ll see that he is certainly unique. He’s always separated his hands a lot more when trying to make a save. This helps react to a sudden change in the ball trajectory for sure. Many goalkeepers though with odd techniques, like Dean Henderson for example don’t catch the ball consistently. They are the type of goalkeeper that’s more likely to give up goals on rebounds. With German goalkeepers you don’t see anything too unique for the most part. Solid technique that has worked for years.
Proper Positioning
I think this is such an interesting concept to explore. There is no doubt that the art of positioning is key to a goalkeeper. However, this is a concept that is super hard to teach because different styles of goalkeeping will essentially lead to diverse positioning. What we see from Kahn and Manuel Neuer is this desire to be up close to the shooter as much as they can to be able to cut off shooting angles. On the other hand Ter Stegen and Lehmann who are much more between the sticks keepers will likely hold back much more. Theoretically if you’re taller you’re going to feel more comfortable being a between the sticks keeper. That’s not necessarily the case for Manuel Neuer and I want to show a play where I feel that’s evident.
You can see right before Lozano cuts back Neuer is in the perfect position for him. He’s standing far enough off the line to where he feels comfortable making the save regardless of what post Lozano chooses to shoot at. I even feel Neuer is ready to come out and force Lozano into a 1v1. If you look at the video you kind of see Neuer jump. When the defenders come back into play Neuer starts backpedaling which is pretty much against his style of play. When the shot comes in Neuer gets jumpy and he dives backwards. I feel that this is a clear depiction of a great goalkeeper who was out of touch with the game because of being out with the injury.
In contrast you can see the first 3 saves that Neuer makes in the Champions League final are a direct result of the perfect positioning to essentially very similar plays. You could make the argument that Chucky Lozano had the virtue of cutting back in the goal for Mexico. Yet in the last save we see in this video there’s a pass back and Neuer is quickly able to adjust his positioning. Going back to the first point a lot of times there’s no perfect spot that every goalkeeper should aim for. Positioning is in many ways a personal feel. Of course, you need to do your best to cut off the angle, but the range that each player has can vary. It’s not just about arm length though. There is no question that Neuer has a ton of range. His comfort level between the sticks at that spot just wasn’t there.
It’s just like the issues with the Oliver Kahn blunder, sure we can point to all of the times that they messed up. What makes them great is that they typically make or make good decisions in those particular places. There is no question that for the better part of his career Manuel Neuer’s positioning has helped him out immensely.
Decent Feet
Again this is a situation where we could single out Manuel Neuer as being much better with his feet than his 3 counterparts in this article. While it’s true that Lehmann, Khan, and Ter Stegen are probably not at Neuer’s level they are pretty decent on their feet. As a goalkeeper you don’t have to be Messi or Ronaldinho. You have to be good enough on your feet though to be able to keep yourself out of trouble. Throughout the years it can be said that most German goalkeepers have been able to do that. In fact, recently, this is something that I defend Ter Stegen on.
When it comes to goalkeepers being good with their feet it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to be Jose Luis Chilavert or Rogerio Ceni. In fact, being decent on your feet is also a positioning technique. You need to put yourself in a good position to get the pass back. Preferably never call for the ball when you’re standing in the middle of the goal. We’ve seen too many accidents happen this way. Once you have the ball, make a decent pass or put the ball in the stands. If you can do that consistently, you’re decent on your feet in my book.
Obviously, in this realm Neuer as a sweeper keeper has really been able to redefine the role. In my view though, he’s had a great career, but most goalkeepers that take those types of risks end up on the wrong side of the highlight reel more often than not. Too many of those and you’ll find yourself sitting on the bench. That’s why it’s so remarkable that with Neuer we tend to have more good than bad with his antics. There is no question though that German keepers throughout history have been able to play with their feet.
Why Are German Goalkeepers So Good? : Conclusion
The fact that one country has been able to consistently produce top quality keepers for an extended number of years is without a doubt remarkable. To be honest it’s not common. Countries like Italy have had some greats without a doubt. Yet, their one great keeper in a generation gets to hold down the national team position for years because there is no one else behind him. Recently, Spain has had a pretty decent run. Historically though, they are not a top keeper country by any means. No offense to the english, but they have historically over valued their goalkeepers. In my lifetime I’ve never seen an elite English goalkeeper. Although I loved the style that David James brought to the table, and certainly Joe Hart had good years they were never elite. Stop trying to glorify David Seaman please!
What’s remarkable about German school of goalkeeping is that they’ve been able to fit different styles of keepers into what I would say is a particular mold. As I’ve tried to portray in the article you can clearly see that these 4 keepers bring their own skill set to the table. Yet, they each essentially share certain characteristics which are ultimately key to being a great goalkeeper. Although it seems overly simply to work on and build these characteristics it isn’t. You can see a clear example of how hard it is to develop goalkeepers consistently at top levels in pretty much every other country in the world!
