The German Football Association’s emblem is absent from the new sticker book and has been replaced by the national flag. American company Topps expressed their disappointment over the absence of several players.
Some individuals have criticized the selection of players and the presence of only three legends as fillers in the book. Similar problems might exist in other sticker books from countries like England, France, and Italy.
These sticker books are cherished by fans and children, who often save their pocket money to collect stickers of their favorite players. The new sticker book, which may cost EUR 180 to complete, features retired Mannschaft captain Oliver Kahn, who has been out of the game since 2008.
Additionally, he is the only goalkeeper listed for the entire 18-man national squad. Furthermore, some star players like Mario Goetze, Karim Adeyemi, Youssoufa Moukoko, and Malick Thiaw have their own stickers despite not being included in the squad.
This issue has been attributed to Topps’ lack of photo rights for some players. Topps has attributed the problem to its former sticker partner and assured collectors that they are working to resolve the situation.
However, many fans do not share the company’s sentiment. Online posts have shown dissatisfaction with the player selection, with one collector expressing skepticism over the likelihood of the majority of the players featured in the book actually participating in the tournament.
