Spanish Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer Leverkusen, said Wednesday that Germany's repeated failures in the World Cup are due to structural, political and cultural problems in German society.

The German national team, a four-time champion, exited the tournament by losing on penalties to modest Paraguay (4-3 on penalties, 1-1 after extra time) in the Round of 32 of the World Cup last June, after being eliminated in the group stage in both 2018 and 2022.

After taking his position at Leverkusen in 2018, Carro helped lead the club to win the Bundesliga title for the first time in 2024, along with winning the DFB-Pokal in the same season.

Carro, 61, told AFP: 'Germany still has outstanding individual players, but we certainly need to closely reassess our current situation, as the number of players reaching the highest level seems to have declined.'

He added: 'There is a need for increased investment in youth talent development, including better integration between school and sports.'

He continued: 'Modern and advanced infrastructure is also a key element... Projects aimed at improving these conditions often stall due to bureaucracy and lengthy decision-making processes.'

The Spaniard pointed out that 'the issue goes beyond facilities and infrastructure; there is also a cultural dimension.'

Carro said Bayer Leverkusen has been waiting for nearly a decade for approval to build a new training center, despite scaling back the project from its initial scope. 'We are still struggling to get approvals despite having identified a suitable location,' he noted, adding that this 'is just one example of a much broader challenge here in Germany.'

Carro, who hails from Barcelona, said Spain, France and England, which reached the semifinals, succeeded thanks to 'immense ambition, perseverance, and collective strength.'

He added: 'There is always something to learn from other countries and systems. Spain, England and France, for example, three of the four countries that reached the World Cup semifinals, are close to us.'

He continued: 'These are similarly developed football nations that have consistently invested in modern infrastructure and academies, as well as in the development of coaches and players.'

The German Football Association is set to appoint Jürgen Klopp as coach of 'Die Mannschaft' after the resignation of Julian Nagelsmann, but Carro stressed that the former Liverpool coach cannot solve German football's problems alone.

He said: 'Jürgen Klopp has achieved a lot in his career and deserves respect for that.'

He concluded: 'But one coach alone cannot solve long-term structural challenges. The conditions surrounding him are equally important: a strong, modern concept for youth talent development, advanced infrastructure, clear performance principles, and a willingness to change.'