El Mala’s role models: Germany stars with fewest Buli games before debut | OneFootball

Since Julian Nagelsmann’s squad announcement on Thursday, no player has been talked about as much as newcomer Said El Mala. Is it too early or exactly the right time to invite the young Cologne player?

Above all, the comparatively few Bundesliga appearances (9) have been criticized by some experts. Among others, Oliver Kahn said in a conversation with 'Sky': "I’m not a big fan of bringing the boys in right away when they’ve had two or three good games."

However, a statistic from 'transfermarkt.de' shows that there are actually quite a few players who had even fewer Bundesliga matches before being called up. 25 players are listed there, and we’ve picked out the five from the past ten years. Who could serve as a role model for El Mala?

Serge Gnabry (9 Bundesliga matches)

Back then still wearing the Werder Bremen jersey, the current Munich player made his debut under Joachim Löw on November 11, 2016. His first DFB match was nothing short of spectacular, as he scored a hat-trick in the 8-0 win against San Marino. Maybe Gnabry has a few tips for El Mala up his sleeve.

David Raum (3 Bundesliga matches)

The left-back, who is also in the current squad, made his debut on September 5, 2021. Through his performances with the U21s, the then Hoffenheim player caught attention. Hansi Flick then brought him on during the World Cup qualifier against Armenia, and he even took part in the next two tournaments (World Cup 2022 and Euro 2024). However, the Leipzig player only featured sporadically.

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2021 Getty Images

Yann Bisseck (3 Bundesliga matches)

The center-back had also only played three Bundesliga matches before his DFB debut. It was only in March of this year that the former Cologne player made his debut. The minutes he played in the 3-3 draw against Italy remain his only appearance in a DFB shirt so far.

Karim Adeyemi (0 Bundesliga matches)

Still a player for RB Salzburg at the time, the current Dortmund winger was even nominated without any Bundesliga experience. Like David Raum, he made his debut under Hansi Flick on September 5, 2021. In the 6-0 win, he even scored his first goal and is also nominated for the current international matches.

Robin Gosens (0 Bundesliga matches)

Robin Gosens also had no Bundesliga experience before his DFB debut on September 3, 2020. In the German national team, the Serie A defender has experienced both highs and lows. At Euro 2021, he was one of the bright spots, but injuries kept setting him back. He made it back into the DFB squad in 2023, but it still wasn’t enough for a spot at the Euros.

The list also includes many other prominent names, such as former Cologne player Jonas Hector, who had only played 11 Bundesliga matches before his DFB debut. But even legends like Günter Netzer (7), Franz Beckenbauer (6), and Wolfgang Overath (5) had even less experience.

What do you think: Can El Mala’s carefree attitude help the DFB team? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Pau Barrena - 2025 Getty Images