The German national soccer team is setting the next exclamation mark. The thrilling win against France was followed by a passionate one against the Netherlands. The national coach then almost only tries to use superlatives.
Late on Tuesday evening, national coach Julian Nagelsmann didn’t want to talk about whether he wanted to remain national coach. But the way he talked after his German national team had won the second high-profile test match, it sounded like he was having a lot of fun at work. And the 36-year-old especially feels it when his footballers win. In the last few days, at the first and so much crucial DFB training course of the year, he spoke in great detail about the feelings after victories and defeats. And following his own reasoning, he leaves Frankfurt feeling elated. At the Eintracht stadium, his team defeated the Netherlands 2-1. It wasn’t so much a victory to make you click your tongue, as was the case on Saturday in Lyon against France (2-0), but rather one of virtue.
The coach was pleased that these two successes were so different in nature. Because they were confirmation of his plan, which he had completely revised between the disasters against Turkey (2:3) and against Austria (0:2) and which is now fueling more and more enthusiasm for the home tournament in less than three months . The initial situation was as bitter as it was grateful. Nothing had to, no, nothing was allowed to stay the way it was. In order to leverage the DFB team’s dormant potential, massive renovation work was needed. It needed a completely different balance. It needed “workers” and “wizards”. At first it sounded strange, different, but somehow like Nagelsmann, who himself is so different from so many of his guild colleagues.
There were things that could have been criticized that evening in Frankfurt. The negligence in defense, the sometimes timid and botched forward play. But Nagelsmann didn’t want to do that, not now. At first he praised and raved. And didn’t stop. He had seen “an outstandingly great game to analyze.” And mourned the possibility of doing so directly, immediately. But his players are moving on, moving back to their clubs. There they are fighting for the championship, for the Champions League, for their form. “Unfortunately I don’t have access to the players at the moment. We’re second fiddle now, but we’ll be first in the summer. I’m looking forward to Weimar.”
Leroy Sané basically gets a squad guarantee
The national team’s home European Championship mission begins there. And if nothing else happens, Nagelsmann will most likely welcome back the players who were there. Of those not present, only Leroy Sané was virtually guaranteed an invitation. Provided he integrates into this collective, which touches the nation’s feelings again. Even though the stands in Frankfurt were strangely quiet for a long time, as if the visitors were still recovering from the rush of the magical night in Lyon and were listening to the sonorous roar of the approaching planes at Frankfurt Airport. Nagelsmann does not believe that Sané is unfamiliar with the role that is intended for him.
The national coach has been praising the FC Bayern winger, who has been banned again for his assault from the Austria game, for days. As a player and as a person. And yet it’s about integration, about roles. Sané is probably one of the 12 or 13 footballers who make up the core. In the offensive line with the young spinners Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and elder statesman İlkay Gündoğan, he is likely to duel with the captain for the permanent position. The two most outstanding talents in German football have already become too important and dominant for the national team. Even though she repeatedly struggled with stability problems against the Netherlands. Cheers to Adi Dassler (just kidding!).
“Unfortunately the place is a catastrophe, really a catastrophe,” complained Nagelsmann on RTL. “There were many situations in the last third when we slipped away,” said the coach and especially Musiala, “who unfortunately didn’t have a good footing with his hooks in that case.”
And even if Musiala in particular kept losing control, flopping down and thus missing good chances for Germany, in the last or penultimate consequence, the lanky creative player is fueling the European Championship hopes with his dribbling and his courage. Just like Wirtz, who is almost inseparable from the ball, or Toni Kroos, who rarely has a resting heart rate even under pressure. Returning from DFB retirement was perhaps the smartest move of Nagelsmann’s radical treatment. He also took control of the game against the Netherlands, sometimes making it wide, sometimes deep and fast. And once he played such a simple one-two that even the opponents were surprised, as this game can sometimes be so often broken down into diametrically tipping sixes or vertically acting God-knows-what players.
Get out of the negative spiral quickly
And Kroos brings a self-image to this team that probably only exists at Real Madrid in the world. With the composure of an all-winner, he reassured his colleagues, flanked by his new chain dog Robert Andrich, even after an early deficit and a bitter series of errors. After four minutes, the Dutchman Joey Veerman scored and punished Maximilian Mittelstädt’s bitter pickle pass and Jonathan Tah’s passivity. According to Nagelsmann, the turf is to blame here too: “On a good turf we defend it – even if it wasn’t a good ball.”
In the time between the world champion Kroos and the comebacker Kroos, this early shock might not have been good for the DFB team. This had been experienced too often. The negative spiral accelerated faster than anyone could shout the short word “Stop.” It was a mechanism that took on a life of its own in the late Joachim Löw years, who stopped by again that evening in Frankfurt, and that even his desperately tinkering successor, Hansi Flick, was unable to repair.
“A few months ago we would probably have collapsed after the 0-1 defeat. But that didn’t happen,” praises Kroos, trying to keep himself and his contribution as small as possible. What does he give to the team? “Nothing special.” But? “A certain charisma is important in order to get a certain self-image. I do believe that I am capable of doing that, certainly not alone. The spirit has to come from the whole team. We have shown that.” What has changed? “Confidence in actions.” And what that means now: “The good news is that we played two very good test games. The bad news is that it doesn’t get us any points for the tournament.”
Nagelsmann finds the key
It also took Nagelsmann a while to find the right tools. In other words, to set up the squad so robustly that early mishaps are recorded as exactly that. As nothing more and nothing less. And with his approach he takes the team with him. For example Joshua Kimmich, the specialist in the engine room who has been untouchable for years. He now defends on the right and does it exceptionally well. Against Kylian Mbappé and the rotating Dutch offensive forces around Donyell Malen. When it took a moment after the 1-0 defeat before the national team had to gather themselves, Nagelsmann asked Kimmich to speak and told him about the adjustments. He calmly accepts that he had to make room for “Nobody” Andrich in midfield. At the service of the team. The roles are defined, Kimmich remains important and central despite the transfer.
Whether this can also apply again to his trusted co-machinist Leon Goretzka is more questionable than ever after this double test pack. Nagelsmann closed the door for the players from the extended environment a little tighter than before. “Those who weren’t there now have to give it their all – and be better than those who are there. We definitely won’t be swapping ten or five players in the summer, that’s out of the question. Maybe one or two if nobody gets injured. ” Manuel Neuer, that much is clear, will be one. Leroy Sané a second. Does that clear everything up? “The group did really, really well, they have a very good relationship with each other, but also brutal ambition.” In his redemption and bliss, Nagelsmann rose into Guardiola-esque superlative enthusiasms. His risky plan in the last tough test before the hot European Championship phase worked completely.
So completely different than against Austria
The brutal ambition also or especially applies to the players in the second row, including Thomas Müller, who fully accepts this role and immediately shows off his inner bossiness when he comes on. He directs, organizes, motivates and sneaks like a mill into the dangerous spaces, which he still sniffs out better than most other players in the world. In the 83rd minute, the old master fired the ball directly at the strong goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. At this point, Germany had long since worn off the sluggishness of the first few minutes from the pink-purple shirts that were being used for the first time.
Just like the Germans’ new dream goal anthem. DJ Teddy-O had carried out a “Major Tom” test before kick-off and found it to be good. Among others from Müller, who sang along while warming up. But back to the jerseys: They didn’t shine as brightly in the stands as one might have expected after the strong start to sales. After all, as the tabloid spotted, Nagelsmann’s girlfriend Lena was wearing the new away jersey. And at 8:56 p.m., they celebrated again with “Major Tom,” which is supposed to finally displace “Kernkraft 400” from Zombie Nation. Zombie Nation should finally be outdated in terms of football.
After eleven minutes, Mittelstädt made amends and equalized with a thunderous shot. The DFB team then looked for solutions against the cleverly defending guests, Gündoğan and Havertz missed two top chances, but the Dutch also had a big problem that the German captain was able to defuse just before Malen. When there was speed in the German game, it was thrilling. When there was no pace, it was tough. And for the guests to defend the gigantic Virgil van Dijk well.
“Stay relaxed, everything is okay”
But Kroos and his colleagues continually tried to find a solution. To get the next win. Nagelsmann reacted. Chris Führich, driven by an unbridled joy of playing, stormed down the left side and caused a lot of stress. Just like Müller and Niclas Füllkrug. In Lyon he was still a bit upset because of his role, but this time he was happy with the impact of the bank – and his own. In the 85th minute he pushed the ball just past the line with his head or shoulder. A little time passed before the goal was recognized. “We really wanted to win,” praised Nagelsmann. “We took more risks than the opponent, I didn’t have that feeling in Austria. The spirit felt completely different than in November. We hope that things will continue to work together from the end of May to mid-July.”
The stadium was now loud, the team was fiery, focused and the national coach couldn’t stop singing the anthem: “We have found a mixture of players who accept the role of not playing and still give it their all when they come in . The importance of the players who come in is just as important as that of the players who start. I felt a very big acceptance from everyone about the role. Then the big difference is that we won twice and we didn’t lost. That’s the most important difference.” And would he like to remain national coach now? “Stay relaxed, everything is okay.”