Infos :

Jupp Derwall decided not to take the entire squad to Spain, leaving three players in each game line – HSV’s defender Holger Hieronymus, FC Köln’s midfielder Stephan Engels and Fortuna Düsseldorf’s forward Thomas Allofs – back home in Germany on “stand-by”. Not sure it was the right decision because by leaving these players in front of their television sets and sitting next to their phones, Derwall was effectively cutting off any hope they might have had in playing an active role in the squad dynamic, even if they would not actually get to play.

Ronald Borchers actively participated in the qualification and preparation matches and was part of the enlarged list of 40 players before the World Cup, but finally not choosen, in favor of Uwe Reinders who had played only a few matches with the national team.

Klaus Allofs finished Bundesliga's top scorer in 1978-79 season and was in his highlight career at the Euro 1980, scoring three goals in the competition and leading West Germany to the title. After signing in the summer of 1981 at Fc Köln, he was injured before the end of the championship. Without this event, he would have been part of the team sent to Spain, his brother Thomas being only an alternative.

Paul Breitner was recall to the national team after a qualification match on april, 1, 1981 against Albania.Briegel had been pushed into the defense to accommodate Breitner in the midfield. The problems started the following month in a friendly match against Brazil in which Breitner completely ignored Bernd Schuster by not passing him a single ball. Schuster refused to return to the team and was attacked in the press by the duo dubbed "Breitnigge" composed of Rummenigge and Breitner. The intervention of the president of the federation made possible a reconciliation, but Schuster’s serious injury in a League match vs. Athletic Bilbao on December 13th, 1981, caused by "the butcher" Andoni Goikoetxea , would force him to miss the rest of the season including the World Cup.

Captain during Euro 1980 et Mundialito 1981, Bernard Dietz sealed his fate with the National Team by openly criticizing the inclusion of Breitner, whom he felt would wield a negative influence on the rest of the squad. This very fighting and experienced player could have been useful in a World Cup

Rüssman wasn't good, he was absolutely horrible at the 1978 WC and by far the worst player of the German team.
And it certainly wasn't the fault of Breitner and Rummenigge that Schuster's career was cut short in the NT: It was Schuster who declared that he stepped down from the NT and it was Schuster who wanted one million DM for a comeback. And even more important: Even with Schuster in the team, Magath would have certainly got the place in starting XI since he was far better team player and not an egomaniac like Schuster..

I fully understand this point of view, the proposal of the alternative team that I would have liked to see playing is subjective. If Schuster was, at the time, an unmanageable "diva", I think that Breitner had nothing to envy by imposing his law to exclude players who didn't suit him. In everything I have read, German football federation leaders have done everything to convince Schuster to came back, until his injury. I did not find Rüssmann so bad as that, Klaus Fischer having declared that it was the defender with the best header game he knew. In addition, he made an excellent season in 1982 with his club. But, after reflection, keeping Dietz involves retaining a younger defender and putting Hannes back in his place.

That quote of Fischer was about Rüssmann's class in the air (totally correct, certainly th best German defender ever in that aspect) and it's a fact that he was one of the best German defenders of his time at club level. But it's also a fact that he was supposed to mark Krankl in the 1978 match and totally failed:



After that game, Rüssmann was heavily criticized by the German press and played only one match for the NT afterwards since his NT career was basically ended with that match. I'd

And about Schuster's special history with Paul and the DFB team I recommend you those two articles (I assume you understand German, if you have questions, I could of course translate some parts for you):

https://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/b ... 91108.html

https://sportbild.bild.de/fussball-em/e ... sport.html