There have been enough topics surrounding the German national soccer team in the past few days, from the pink jersey to the radically changed squad to the debate about the future of Julian Nagelsmann to the change of supplier from Adidas to Nike from 2027. While the national coach trained his national players – and commented on the other topics – he apparently still had time to follow who was getting into shape in the country in which Nagelsmann’s team was playing this Saturday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker). international matches and on ZDF).
Tobias Rabe
Editor in charge of Sport Online.
French President Emmanuel Macron had a photo published there on Wednesday in which he punches a punching bag with a distorted face, amazing biceps and full force. The Germans would like to perform as powerfully as possible in the test match in Lyon, but above all they want to approach the game with fun, as Nagelsmann conveyed at the press conference the day before. The motto of the game was “We kick,” the national coach revealed. “It’s just football,” he added. In any case, no one had watched “Rocky Balboa videos” beforehand.
As usual, Nagelsmann spoke openly and honestly about the issues before the France game, especially the goalkeeper question. At the beginning of the week he asked Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen for an interview and explained that he had chosen Neuer as number one. On Wednesday he suffered a torn muscle fiber and left. Ter Stegen is in goal in Lyon and on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for international matches and on RTL) against the Dutch in Frankfurt. “I’m glad we have two world-class goalkeepers,” said Nagelsmann.
“It’s just a small injury”
Nothing will change in Neuer’s status with a view to the medium-term future. “The decision is made,” said Nagelsmann. “It’s just a small injury, he won’t be out for eight months.” In fact, it will be “only ten days.” It remains unclear whether the FC Bayern goalkeeper will be ready again for the top Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund on March 30, but it is probably not out of the question. Neuer’s hope of a comeback as number one after a long break caused by a complicated leg fracture shortly after the World Cup in Qatar now rests on the German European Championship test games at the beginning of June.
Nagelsmann now explained his decision in favor of Neuer and his retention in detail. “It would be strange if I revised my decision every time I got an injury.” It’s also about giving the player “a certain level of security. This affects players who come off the bench, just like the ones I count in the first 13.” Nagelsmann added that he had already conveyed to Ter Stegen before Neuer’s injury “that something can always happen in this position, as you can now sees”.
The fact that Ter Stegen is in goal at the start of the game is not the only German personality that is already publicly known the day before the game. Nagelsmann also announced that Maximilian Mittelstädt will start in his first international match: “He is doing well defensively and offensively. He will start at left back.” Captain Ilkay Gündogan, who sat next to Nagelsmann in Lyon, will line up in front of Toni Kroos, flanked by Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, or as Nagelsmann called them: “the three magicians”. The central leader is Kai Havertz. “He has often played outstandingly at Arsenal recently.”
Nagelsmann only wanted to say little about the hotly debated topic of the day. The fact that from 2027 onwards the national team will no longer train and play in Adidas equipment but rather Nike equipment is “ultimately not my responsibility. My work site is the daily business on the pitch.” In general, he can understand every opinion “from the fans, from the suppliers, from the association”.
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The question of whether Nagelsmann might stay with the DFB after the European Championships had recently developed an astonishing dynamic. When nominating the squad, the national coach stated that he was ready to clarify his future quickly. That didn’t seem to be an option for the DFB because of the uncertainty about how the European Championship would end and bad experiences with other hasty signatures before. Now the association has changed its mind. An extension, under conditions, is suddenly conceivable.
However, Nagelsmann did not want to say anything more about the status of the “contractual matters” for the time being. “We don’t have to discuss this every day,” he said on Friday in Lyon. “I think I spoke very openly about the job situation. If at some point there is something else to report, I will speak very openly again. I put the cards very openly on the table, so that’s it for now – until there are cards to put on the table again.” On Saturday, his national players have to show theirs first. On the lawn.
