Lost, or at least overlooked, amid the continuing debate over Mesut Özil and issues of national identity in Germany, was something Joachim Löw said last week. It came in a press conference in Munich last Thursday, when the Germany coach was asked about the need to find a No 10, a true playmaker, to replace Özil. Löw suggested that his inquisitor was barking up the wrong tree.

“The situation of the playmaker or No 10 doesn’t really exist any more and hasn’t done for a long time,” Low said. “Guys like [Günter] Netzer, [Michel] Platini and [Zinédine] Zidane have not been around for a while. These days the playmakers, the ones who make the play, are in deeper, more defensive positions. These are very important