Sven Mislintat, Fortuna Dusseldorf Head Of Sports, On Why England Produces More Strikers Than Germany

The man who brought top players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Lucas Torreira, and Matteo Guendouzi to Arsenal F.C. - Sven Mislintat - has now taken up the challenge of helping German club Fortuna Dusseldorf return to the Bundesliga from the second division. His experience in building competitive squads needs no introduction, but Mislintat believes assembling a strong team is as much about mental strength and structure as it is about recruitment strategy. During NDTV's visit to Dusseldorf in Germany, the former recruitment head at Arsenal F.C. and Borussia Dortmund reflected on lessons from his career and the challenges of reshaping squads in different situations.

For Mislintat, one of the most defining experiences came during his time at VfB Stuttgart. He took over as sporting director just before the club's relegation, forcing a complete rethink of the team's structure.

"I started there two weeks before we went down to the second Bundesliga," Mislintat explained. "We had to remodel and restructure the foundations of the club," he said.

The rebuilding process eventually paid off, with Stuttgart returning to become one of the stronger sides in the top flight. However, he emphasised that the situation at his current club required a different approach because he arrived midway through the season.

"When you join during the winter break, you cannot destroy the system with too many changes," he said. "It's more about small adjustments," Sven explained.

Instead, Mislintat focused heavily on the psychological aspect of the squad. "The first step was giving the players confidence back. A lot of the work is mental - bringing back belief and strength."

Mislintat also highlighted how recruitment in modern football has evolved significantly. Today's scouting processes require far more than simply identifying talent on the pitch. "In recruitment, you need a 360-degree perspective," he explained. "You look at data, you speak to the player personally, you meet them and explain the project."

Clubs now also pay close attention to a player's personality and behaviour away from football. "You even have to check social media and how players behave publicly," he said. "In modern football, you cannot ignore that because it can create problems if you sign someone who makes extreme statements."

With more than 25 years of experience in professional football, including coaching qualifications, Mislintat believes his broad background helps him evaluate players more effectively.

The Difference Between England And Germany

Another topic he addressed was the perceived gap between England and Germany in producing elite strikers. According to Mislintat, the competitive environment of the Premier League plays a key role.

"England produces a lot of talent because it's the richest league in the world," Mislintat, nicknamed 'Diamond Eye' told NDTV. "To play there you must reach the highest level of ambition and performance."

The intense competition within English football means players are constantly under pressure to perform. "It creates an environment where you have to deliver every week," he said. "If you don't perform, you are out. There is no comfort zone."

Germany, on the other hand, has traditionally been known for developing other types of players. "For many years Germany has produced outstanding midfielders, wingers and centre-backs," Mislintat noted.

But he added that producing world-class centre-forwards is a rare achievement anywhere in football. "In most years you might only find five or six truly world-class number nines," he said.