Julian Nagelsmann proudly presented his first trophy as national coach: a dark blue jersey with his name and the “1” on the chest and back was the gift from the New England Patriots footballers for the new coach of the national team. The DFB kickers’ trip to the US East Coast is intended, among other things, to promote cooperation with the football players; players like Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels also laughed and held gifts of jerseys from the Patriots for the cameras. Former German NFL professional Markus Kuhn distributed the shirts to the DFB team.
For Nagelsmann, 36, the US tour with test matches against the USA (Saturday, 9 p.m., Hartford) and Mexico (next Wednesday, 2 a.m., Philadelphia) is about more than just nice, mood-boosting pictures. This quickly became clear from the first impressions of training in the football mecca of Foxborough in Massachusetts. “You notice his drive, you notice his motivation,” said captain Ilkay Gündogan, describing the infectious power with which Nagelsmann started, “a new coach always brings new dynamism.”
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Packages for the homeless: Robin Gosens lends a hand.
(Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa)
A successful home European Championship in 2024 is the long-term goal. In the first training session on the field surrounded by a forest, Nagelsmann immediately unpacked the tactics board and gave loud instructions during the exercises. The 36-year-old also took an active approach and repeatedly opened the pass relays himself. The “Revolution” lettering on the roof of the training headquarters of the Major League Soccer team of the same name from New England, which houses the DFB team, seemed like an omen.
Things were relaxed on the first day, there was clapping and laughter. But in terms of content, Nagelsmann immediately started a kind of crash course that was intended to introduce the players to his “basic principles” in a 4-2-2-2 system. “He explained to us what he was planning to do. That made us want more,” reported Robin Gosens after the first team meeting, who had previously represented the DFB at a charity event and, together with NFL football players, loaded aid packages for the homeless. Midfielder Jonas Hofmann reported on the first training session with Nagelsmann: “The passing game is of great importance, playing a lot vertically, steeply, slapping – simple, small details.”
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Warm reunion: Former DFB director Oliver Bierhoff (right) meets Rudi Völler.
(Foto: Alex Grimm/Getty Images via AFP)
Oliver Bierhoff was a surprise guest at training on Tuesday. The former DFB director visited the national team again for the first time since the painful separation after the World Cup in Qatar. He hugged team manager Rudi Völler and met the new DFB managing director Andreas Rettig. The trip to the USA was initiated under Bierhoff’s direction. Others are now setting the direction and rhythm there.
