why the Bundesliga attracts so many French players, and why German clubs appreciate them so much

While Euro football has just started in Germany, a close-up on the Bundesliga, which has become over the years a real Eldorado for French players, more and more of them are setting down their boots across the Rhine.

It is the major European championship which attracts the most French people. Germany, which has been hosting Euro football since Friday June 14, has with the Bundesliga one of the most renowned championships in Europe in terms of its level of play, but not only that. More and more players are leaving Ligue 1 to play across the Rhine. A love for German football, which reflects it well on them.

“Frankly it’s amazing ! When I arrived here, I hadn’t necessarily seen what the atmosphere was like inside the stadiums… and every weekend, the stadiums are full.”says Lucas Tousard who left Lyon in 2020 to settle in Berlin. “Even in the smallest clubs, the stadiums are full all the time and for a player, it’s pleasant. Every weekend, there are crazy atmospheres. So it’s a pleasure to play here.”

An ideal showcase scrutinized by major European clubs, the Bundesliga attracts in particular young French players, who wish to practice their skills in Germany. SC Freiburg is one of those clubs to open its locker rooms wide for these nuggets made in France. The German club notably sought out Jordy Makengo, 22, from Auxerre. Since then, the left-back has appeared regularly in the Bundesliga. 20 matches played out of 34 possible this season. “At first I didn’t play too much, but they really took the time with me. They trusted me to make it work.”

“To start your career, it’s perfect.”

Jordy Makengo

at franceinfo

Another example of success across the Rhine, Anthony Rouault. The defender leaves Toulouse during the summer of 2023 to join VfB Stuttgart. A profitable choice since not only did he settle in central defense, but the Frenchman and his team finished second in the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayern Munich.

In one season, Anthony Rouault has changed dimensions. “It’s a championship which is, I think, tougher than France. It allows us, the young players, to be able to progress to learn new things, it enriches usobserves the 23-year-old defender.

“It’s a springboard, an opportunity to be seized.”

Anthony Rouault

at franceinfo

Anthony Rouault dreams of a destiny like Benjamin Pavard. He also revealed himself at VfB Stuttgart, before winning the World Cup with the Blues and joining Bayern Munich in 2019. “I think it’s good to go through stages for a young French player, who leaves for an average club and who doesn’t immediately go to Bayern or Manchester Citynotes Guy Stéphan, assistant coach of the France team. There is progression. This is how they manage to have levels,” saidbefore becoming great players like Bixente Lizarazu, Franck Ribéry and more recently Kingsley Coman. One figure, moreover, does not lie: almost a third of the Blues selected for this Euro 2024 play or have played in Germany.

But to work in the long term, a love story must work both ways. And it’s true that the profile of the French appeals to German clubs. They are young, inexpensive, very well trained and particularly strong. The type of players that a coach can quickly throw into the deep end without too much worry. “French players are often very well trained, they are physical, robust and fast, praises Julian Nagelsmann, the current coach of the Mannschaft, who had a good number of young French people under his command, when he was on the bench of Leipzig or Bayern Munich. Ligue 1 is also very physical. It’s a difficult championship with powerful players, whatever their position. It’s very varied. These are profiles you want to have on your team.”

This mutual love between French players and German clubs is passed down from generation to generation. All you have to do is consult the list of Hopes for the Paris Olympic Games this summer. Among the under 23s summoned by Thierry Henry, several of them like Castello Lukeba (Leipzig) or Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich) have already made a name for themselves in the elite of German football.