Michael Ballack calls for more player responsibility in German football to help "develop personalities"

Europe: UEFA Nations League Stadio Toumbas FT 0 - 0 (0 - 0) Greece Germany 32 ⚽X0-0 J. Burkardt VAR By Rune Gjerulff @runegjerulff Michael Ballack has warned against over-coaching, arguing that players need to be given more responsibility if German football is to develop the personalities it is crying out for.

But as Germany legend Michael Ballack points out, the coaches are not solely responsible for the team's struggles. The players must also take responsibility themselves.

"It seems to me that we have very few leaders who speak their minds to each other in the dressing room. That process has to come from within the team," Ballack said in his role as a pundit for Sky Deutschland.

"We always talk a lot about the coach. Of course, the coach can have a big impact - above all, a negative one.

But the final few percent, in a positive sense, also have to come from the team. Making decisions on the pitch, deciding things for themselves.

Ballack went on to suggest that German football has become too focused on over-coaching" and "over-systematisation", arguing that the issue starts at youth level and ultimately leaves players with less responsibility for making their own decisions. "The players need to be given that freedom again, even at youth level," he argued.

"Maybe we need to take a little bit of this over-coaching in youth football, this oversupply of everything, this constant optimisation, away again, so that we can develop personalities."