In brackets the player's position in the previous ranking (Winter 2021/22)
--
Goalkeepers
Weltklasse (World Class)
None
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. Kevin Trapp / GER / Eintracht Frankfurt (NK-9)
2. Manuel Neuer / GER / Bayern M|+nchen (IK-1)
3. Yann Sommer / SUI / M||nchengladbach (IK-4)
4. Gregor Kobel / SUI / Borussia Dortmund) (IK-3)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
5. Marvin Schw|nbe / GER / 1. FC K||ln (-)
6. Stefan Ortega / GER / Arminia Bielefeld (NK-5)
7. P|-ter Gul|icsi / HUN / RB Leipzig (NK-8)
8. Manuel Riemann / GER / VfL Bochum (NK-6)
9. Lukas Hradecky / FIN / Bayer Leverkusen (-)
10. Robin Zentner / GER / FSV Mainz 05 (-)
Freiburg's Mark Flekken went from unranked to International Class
back to unranked. Riemann could have been listed higher, he was a big
reason for Bochum's good season.
--
Central Defenders
Weltklasse (World Class)
none
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. Nico Schlotterbeck / GER / SC Freiburg (will transfer to Boruusia Dortmund) (IK-1)
2. Willi Orb|in / HUN / RB Leipzig (-)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
3. Jo+iko Gvardiol / CRO / RB Leipzig (NK-16)
4. Jonathan Tah / GER / Bayer Leverkusen (NK-11)
5. Timo H|+bers / GER / 1. FC K||ln (-)
6. Niklas S|+le / GER / Bayern M|+nchen (will transfer to Borussia Dortmund) (IK-2)
7. Mohamed Simakan / FRA / RB Leipzig (-)
8. Philipp Lienhart / AUT / SC Freiburg (NK-7)
9. Edmond Tapsoba / BFA / Bayer Leverkusen (-)
10. Evan N'Dicka / FRA / Eintracht Frankfurt (NK-6)
11. Timo Baumgartl / GER / Union Berlin (on loan from PSV) (-)
12. Lukas Klostermann / GER / RB Leipzig (NK-12)
13. Tuta / BRA / Eintracht Frankfurt (-)
14. Piero Hincapi|- / ECU / Bayer Leverkusen (NK-10 Fullbacks)
15. Martin Hinteregger / AUT / Eintracht Frankfurt (-)
No more Jesse Marsch means that Orban is back near the top of the list.
No Akanji, Upamecano, or Lucas Hern|indez.
--
Fullbacks ('defensive laterals')
Weltklasse (World Class)
none
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. David Raum / GER / Hoffenheim (NK-4)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
2. Jonas Hector / GER / 1. FC K||ln (NK-3)
3. Christian G|+nter / GER / SC Freiburg (NK-2)
4. Christopher Trimmel / AUT / Union Berlin (-)
5. Marvin Plattenhardt / GER / Hertha BSC (-)
6. Angeli|#o / ESP / RB Leipzig (NK-8)
7. Danilo / BRA / VfL Bochum (-)
8. Jeremie Frimpong / NED / Bayer Leverkusen (NK-5)
9. Benjamin Henrichs / GER / RB Leipzig (-)
10. Borna Sosa / CRO / VfB Stuttgart (-)
11. Cristian Gamboa / CRC / VfL Bochum (-)
12. Benno Schmitz / GER / 1. FC K||ln (NK-6)
Alphonso Davies's COVID struggles have cost him a place on the list.
--
Defensive Midfielders
Weltklasse (World Class)
none
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. Robert Andrich / GER / Bayer Leverkusen (NK-6)
2. Salih |uzcan / GER / 1. FC K||ln (will transfer to Borussia Dortmund) (NK-10)
3. Konrad Laimer / AUT / RB Leipzig (-)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
4. Djibril Sow / SUI / Eintracht Frankfurt (NK-5)
5. Sebastian Rode / GER / Eintracht Frankfurt (-)
6. Jude Bellingham / ENG / Borussia Dortmund (IK-4 Off. MF)
7. Charles Ar|inguiz / CHI / Bayer Leverkusen (-)
8. Anton Stach / GER / FSV Mainz 05 (-)
9. Jamal Musiala / GER / Bayern M|+nchen (IK-5 Wingers)
10. Anthony Losilla / FRA / VfL Bochum (-)
11. Joshua Kimmich / GER / Bayern M|+nchen (IK-1)
12. Nicolas H||fler / GER / SC Freiburg (NK-4)
13. Wataru End+i / JAP / VfB Stuttgart (-)
14. Ellyes Skhiri / TUN / 1. FC K||ln (IK-3)
When I heard Laimer had (deservedly) been ranked third-best defensive midfielder in the league (go to the Premier League, boy!), my first impulse
was to assume Kimmich and Goretzka in front of him, but due to his hip
injury Goretzka hasn't made the necessary number of games, and Kimmich certainly hasn't been up to his usual standards, although to rank him on 11
is typical Kicker 'edginess'.
It's notable that with Schlotterbeck, S|+le, and |uzcan Dortmund have already signed three top performers from their competitors.
--
Offensive Midfielders
Weltklasse (World Class)
None
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. Florian Wirtz / GER / Bayer Leverkusen (IK-2)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
2. Jonas Hofmann / GER / M||nchengladbach (IK-5)
3. Mark Uth / GER / 1. FC K||ln (NK-9)
4. Dani Olmo / ESP / RB Leipzig (-)
5. Alassane Pl|-a / FRA / M||nchengladbach (-)
6. Thomas M|+ller / GER / Bayern M|+nchen (WK-1)
7. Marco Reus / GER / Borussia Dortmund (IK-6)
8. Daichi Kamada / JAP / Eintracht Frankfurt (-)
9. Dominik Szoboszlai / HUN / RB Leipzig (-)
10. Grischa Pr||mel / GER / Union Berlin (will transfer to Hoffenheim) (-)
11. Christoph Baumgartner / AUT / Hoffenheim (-)
12. Julian Brandt / GER / Borussia Dortmund (-)
13. Jesper Lindstr|+m / DEN / Eintracht Frankfurt
I'm beginning to see a theme - Kicker not really knowing how to deal with Eintracht players (so-so in the league, but won a European trophy).
--
Ciao,
Werner
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: SportNet Gateway Site (24:150/2)

On Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 10:30:52 PM UTC+2, Werner Pichler wrote:

In brackets the player's position in the previous ranking (Winter 2021/22)

--
Wingers ('offensive laterals')
Weltklasse (World Class)
none
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. Filip Kosti-c / SRB / Eintracht Frankfurt (IK-6)
2. Moussa Diaby / FRA / Bayer Leverkusen (IK-7)
3. Kingsley Coman / FRA / Bayern M|+nchen (IK-2)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
4. Vincenzo Grifo / ITA / SC Freiburg (NK-4)
5. Ansgar Knauff / GER / Eintracht Frankfurt (on loan from Borussia Dortmund) (-)
6. Roland Sallai / HUN / SC Freiburg (-)
7. Paulinho / BRA / Bayer Leverkusen (-)
8. Dejan Ljubi-ii-c / AUT / 1. FC K||ln (-)
9. Serge Gnabry / GER / Bayern M|+nchen (IK-3)
Kicker are of one mind with Binder. No San|-.
--
Strikers
Weltklasse (World Class)
none
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
1. Robert Lewandowski / POL / Bayern M|+nchen (will transfer?) (WK-1)
2. Christopher Nkunku / FRA / RB Leipzig (IK-3 Off. MF)
3. Patrik Schick / CZE / Bayer Leverkusen (IK-3)
4. Erling Braut Haaland / NOR / Borussia Dortmund (will transfer to Manchester City) (WK-2)
5. Anthony Modeste / FRA / 1. FC K||ln (NK-4)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
6. Sheraldo Becker / SUR / Union Berlin (-)
7. Michael Gregoritsch / AUT / FC Augsburg (-)
8. Donyell Malen / NED / Borussia Dortmund (-)
9. Andrej Kramari-c / CRO / Hoffenheim (NK-9)
10. Sa+ia Kalajd++i-c / AUT / VfB Stuttgart (will transfer?) (-)
11. Taiwo Awoniyi / NGA / Union Berlin (NK-5)
12. Andr|- Silva / POR / RB Leipzig (-)
13. Rafael Borr|- / COL / Eintracht Frankfurt (-)
14. Karim Onisiwo / AUT / FSV Mainz 05 (NK-12)
15. Breel Embolo / SUI / M||nchengladbach (-)
I kind of get where Kicker are going with this, but Modeste in the same tier as Lewandowski and Haaland looks
simply wrong. Love to see Gregerl being listed as seventh-best striker in the league, but if that's not an indictment
on the current state of Bundesliga I don't know what is.
--
Germans Abroad
Top Leagues
Weltklasse (World Class)
none
Internationale Klasse (International Class)
Marc-Andr|- Ter Stegen / Barcelona (NK)
Antonio R|+diger / Chelsea (IK)
Toni Kroos / Real Madrid (IK)
-#lkay G|+ndo-fan / Manchester City (IK)
Kai Havertz / Chelsea (NK)
Nationale Klasse (National Class)
Alexander N|+bel / AS Monaco (-)
Vitaly Janelt / Brentford (NK)
Timo Werner / Chelsea (-)
Kevin Volland / AS Monaco (NK)
So no World Class player either in the league, or among the Germans abroad, for the first time since
Summer 2019. Back then Neuer and Lewandowski made the Weltklasse grade in the following ranking,
but with Lewa possibly gone (or demotivated) and Neuer pushing on 37, it's a bit unclear to me where
the next World Class player is supposed to come from. Perhaps Ter Stegen can carry the torch for a while.
--
Average Leagues
Herausragend ('Excellent')
Lars Unnerstall / Twente (A)
Mario G||tze / PSV (A)
Deniz Undav / Union Saint-Gilloise (H)
Auff|nllig ('Conspicuous')
Patrick Bauer / Preston North End (A)
Philipp Max / PSV (-)
Kai Wagner / Philadelphia Union (-)
Julian Weigl / Benfica (H)
Lukas G||rtler / FC St. Gallen (-)
Hany Mukhtar / Nashville SC (A)
Lukas Podolski / G||rnik Zabrze (A)
Karim Adeyemi / Salzburg (A)
|uzil is gone from the list for obvious reasons, but
Podolski just extended his contract in Silesia.
Dortmund almost certainly overpaid for Adeyemi, but who am I to complain.
Ciao,
Werner
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: SportNet Gateway Site (24:150/2)