He has experienced a lot, as a player, coach and official. So when Rudi Völler needs to evaluate things, it comes from a qualified source. And with the experience of a 63-year-old. When the DFB sports director was asked in Lyon about the very convincing performance of the German national football team in the 2-0 (1-0) win against France, he was full of praise.
“It was definitely the best we’ve played in recent years,” said Völler. That was “really good”. There is great hope that after months in which the national team caused horror and criticism due to sometimes miserable performances, European Championship euphoria could finally arise. “I think we can succeed with a game like this,” says Völler with certainty.
He followed Oliver Bierhoff as sports director at the beginning of 2023 after the embarrassing preliminary round exit at the World Cup in Qatar. But it was only in Lyon that Völler experienced something like a perfect football evening for the first time in this job – apart from the 2-1 win in Dortmund in September, also against France. After the dismissal of national coach Hansi Flick, he stepped in as a coach for a game at short notice. At the time, however, one had the impression that France had not put up any real resistance and had made things easy for the struggling Germans.
On Saturday, however, we saw, as Niclas Füllkrug stated, “that the French were positioned differently than in Dortmund. They really wanted to win in front of their home crowd. But we made it extremely difficult for them.” The German team surprised not only their opponents, but also their own supporters. Because the strong performance started after less than eight seconds.
Toni Kroos was the pacesetter and anchor in the German game
Germany had offense. Kai Havertz passed to Toni Kroos. The Real Madrid star, back for the first time almost three years after his retirement, looked around briefly and then passed to Florian Wirtz. The French didn’t attack the Leverkusen player, so he shot free and made it 1-0. It was a well-rehearsed variant that the Dane Mads Buttgereit, who has been a standard specialist in the coaching team since 2021, came up with.
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Julian Nagelsmann praised this. The goal was “outstandingly choreographed,” said the national coach. “I don’t think anyone really realized and didn’t immediately understand what was going on,” added goalscorer Wirtz. The person providing the template commented humorously on the scene. “The standard coaches now had enough time, four months, to come up with something,” said Kroos, referring to the lost games in November against Turkey (2:3) and Austria (0:2). Kroos wasn’t there yet.
How important the Real Madrid star can be for the Nagelsmann team’s game in the future was immediately apparent in Lyon. Kroos was the pace setter and anchor. Through-pass Toni instead of cross-pass Toni – the now 107-time national player not only ensured this positive reversal of his nickname with his assist. Kroos was calm on the ball, confident in passing – and also energetic at times. He has “impressively demonstrated that he can deliver wonderful performances not only at Real Madrid, but also for the national team. “He did it unbelievably from the start,” said Völler. Kroos was “the great director”.
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The coach can take great credit for Nagelsmann convincing Kroos of his comeback. It seems that he is exactly the missing piece of the puzzle – even if it was anything but expected that Kroos would work so well in the first game. The German team fought and had structure. She acted as if she had gotten rid of a heavy backpack. In Lyon, the simple things worked again – whether short passes or a perfect tackle. In the past, a lot of things had been “tangled,” said Nagelsmann after the victory. This time the team clearly had fun, and it was fun again.
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Whether on the offensive, where Kai Havertz made it 2-0 after the break, initiated by Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. The young stars named by Nagelsmann as his “magicians” – Wirtz is 20, Musiala 21 – not only offered the hoped-for tricks. They also demonstrated that together they can make a difference. Wirtz shone, among other things, as a goalscorer, Musiala not only as a provider of ideas or passers. He won an unusually large number of balls. They filled Nagelsmann’s motto of having fun with life. “I don’t like this ‘What happens if?'” the national coach said before the game: “That doesn’t help us. There is life, it is big. And there’s football, and it’s always fun. If it crushes us, we’ll stop playing football.” It’s not about politics, not about fate, not about the job.
Now the fun is back, as is the success, and that makes you want more. There should be more on Tuesday. . In Frankurt/Main, where the DFB entourage traveled on Sunday, they will face the Netherlands (8.45 p.m., in the WELT sports ticker). Nagelsmann is unlikely to make any major changes to the starting eleven at first. Lyon did too well for that. Debutant Maximilian Mittelstädt was also able to record an appealing performance in the end.
Will Nagelsmann continue after the European Championships?
Initially, his problems with his high-profile opponent Ousmane Dembele could not be overlooked. There is a difference whether you play with VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga or with the national team on the big stage. However, the left-back improved and in the end even had the chance to make it 3-0. Nagelsmann had previously defended the nomination of some newcomers, as the players would only gain experience “if you trust them and let them play”. Mittelstädt’s performance confirmed him.
It remains to be seen whether the Stuttgart player will be in the starting eleven for the start of the European Championship on June 14th. But if players don’t fall into a dip in form or get injured, the face of the team is unlikely to change. Nagelsmann, it seems, has found his first and second team. Lyon’s victory doesn’t make things easy for the established forces that he is currently without. For Leon Goretzka from FC Bayern, for example, or the many Dortmund players like Emre Can, Mats Hummels or Julian Brandt. They still have the chance to recommend themselves, but it will probably be close. Even if the national coach points out that the door is not closed for anyone.
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How long Nagelsmann will decide who plays for Germany and who doesn’t is still unclear. His contract currently runs until the end of July. When it comes to a possible contract extension, he wants to take his cue from Völler. Regarding his own contract situation, he said, “We have time and then we’ll see.” And Rudi Völler “you can always quote,” said Nagelsmann in France: “I am willing to play a maximally successful European Championship, that is my main focus.”
It is said that the DFB would like to extend the contract. “An offer is always the first step. I don’t have an offer. And I don’t want to put any pressure on it. My statements should not put the DFB under pressure. We have signed a contract until after the European Championship – with full knowledge on both sides,” Nagelsmann described the status quo and added: “In the end, an offer in hand is not a guarantee.” Staying with the DFB for a longer period of time is not ruled out, but it is also not a given. Nagelsmann said on ZDF that there were “a lot of details” to be clarified, which he was discussing internally: “This has nothing to do with financial things, I would like to make that clear.” Regarding Völler, he remarked that he was an “absolute supporter “The idea” was to extend his position as sports director.
In fact, an agreement is said to be imminent with Völler. Then he would have the chance to sing even more praises in a responsible position in the future.
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