Here, in Brazil, there is a somewhat old comment that, even so, is constantly disseminated — formerly more frequently — regarding German players: Alemães são cintura dura. It's the famous ginga that they claim the Germans don't have. Basically, in a more direct translation of terms, it would be as if the Germans didn't have the skill, the elegance, the smoothness in the movement of the Brazilian or South American player in general.

Before starting to study the history of football, I believed that this expression of contempt was inherent in Brazilians, but this is not the case. It is interesting to know that this was also talked about in ancient Central Europe; when they believed that Germany would never be a prominent nation in the world, because they did not have the same technical skill quality as Austrian and Hungarian players, for example. In this case, it would almost be as if the movements of the German players were mechanical.

In fact, compared to Brazilian, Argentine and Hungarian players, for example, the history of German football shows that their individual values ​​are not comparable in technique with those of the other mentioned nations. Of course, there are some exceptions; being Franz Beckenbauer the greatest exception. However, the glorious German trajectory shows that there are other attributes, other aspects that make a nation grow in scope.

While Germany remains one of the most successful nations, Hungary, which also made fun of Italy, has lost all its power, all its prominence in world football. Hungary, which was once the main master of the continent, is now a mere apprentice to the nations it taught to play football.

Today, you are at the top. Tomorrow is a maybe, a possibility, therefore anything can happen, even the decline, the highest fall of a sovereign of British sport.

Nations that once produced players like Alex James, György Orth and Matthias Sindelar, now don't even produce values that come close to the quality of the old masters.