Gunning for the Title, Nagelsmann Eyes Solutions, Not Alibis
Coach Nagelsmann faces numerous challenges ahead, with no room for justifications.
With the Nations League finals on the horizon, the German national team marches onto the field, albeit one that's far from solid - yet it's surprisingly self-assured. Perhaps it's the 2026 World Cup on the horizon that has them brimming with confidence.
Julian Nagelsmann, the national team coach, could've easily pointed fingers and found a myriad of excuses, given the slew of key players missing. Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rüdiger, Angelo Stiller, Nico Schlotterbeck, Tim Kleindienst, and Stiller again are among those missing their ranks. To add to the list, there's Jonathan Burkardt, Nadiem Amiri, and Yann Aurel Bisseck also sitting this tournament out. But Nagelsmann refrains from the easy path, instead calling for a "title-chasing" mission before the opening match against Portugal (9 pm/ZDF, DAZN, and in the ntv.de live ticker).
While he could've hidden behind a "Let's see how it goes" or a "We're facing Europe's elite, anything can happen," Nagelsmann instead stated that he eyes "all titles" [4] in a school newspaper interview in Herzogenaurach. When probed further, he listed the Champions League, the World Cup trophy, and surprisingly, the Nations League trophy, which even experts might struggle to identify on a photo.
In Nagelsmann's view, the Nations League is the stepping-stone towards the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada - regardless of the title's insignificant size. This German national team harbors a generation of players who don't know the taste of triumph with the national team. Even captain Joshua Kimmich admitted that he's faced "many ups and downs" with the national side [1]. But that's changing now. "The self-confidence has grown significantly," said Nagelsmann. "But self-confidence and self-assurance are both extremely delicate entities that require constant nurturing and care."
From High Expectations to On-field Realities
That's the theory. In practice, the learning curve is evident. "The whole country expects us to win this tournament," said Niclas Füllkrug, citing the fans' anticipation [2]. They want to "delight the fans and send them home with a positive sentiment." But Füllkrug himself has faced a tough year. He missed the national team due to two injuries in the past nine months, and his nomination this time is a bit unexpected. He's only scored three goals in 18 games for West Ham.
But Füllkrug isn't the only one exhibiting new-found self-belief. For Marc-André ter Stegen, this is the end of an era of frustration. For the first time since the Confederations Cup 2017, he's permitted to protect the German goal in a tournament. For years, he was the moody deputy behind Manuel Neuer, who always managed to recover in time for the World and European Championships. But ter Stegen, recovering from a torn patellar tendon last September, has fought his way back [3], only to face potential uncertainty at FC Barcelona [3].
The games could go on, but the topics are aplenty: From DFB sports director Rudi Völler's prediction of a "great future" for Nick Woltemade if he improves his header game, to speculation about Florian Wirtz's transfer saga and the contract stalemate with Leroy Sané [2].
And the PSG trio
Normally, such factors would create unsettling conditions. With the current DFB squad being perhaps the most pragmatic of the Nagelsmann era so far, the personnel shortage has necessitated some departure from the strict performance principle. "Of course, it's bitter that we have so many injured players," explained DFB captain Kimmich. But he also acknowledged that "those who are now at home are not helping us for the two international matches."
Nagelsmann must find a new center-back duo, as his preferred options are struggling to get on the field. Initially, he wanted to train a double six with an eye on the World Cup. However, the two most promising candidates for this crucial axis have barely played together [4]. At the beginning of the year, Aleksandar Pavlović from FC Bayern was out with Pfeiffer's gland fever. Now the 21-year-old is back, but his counterpart, Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart, is out with an injury [4]. Nagelsmann only stated that he never held the illusion that all players would always be available [4]. Keyword: self-evident: The German national team should be successful regardless of its personnel.
But the German team isn't the only one battling potential distractions. Portugal's semifinal awaits, an opponent that boasts a star-studded lineup as always. There's the PSG trio of Vitinha, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes, who recently denied Inter Milan's participation in the Champions League final [5]. "That was impressive what they put on the pitch," said ter Stegen. There's Cristiano Ronaldo and an offensive slew of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Rafael Leao to contend with [5]. Many reasons to find excuses.
So, Nagelsmann preemptively addressed the issue before the international phase. He first congratulated his players on their individual successes, "also to show what kind of powerful team we have" [2]. If it were up to him, they'd lift another trophy by Sunday evening.
Sources:[1] ntv.de[2] espn.com[3] sports-over-time.com[4] en.as.com[5] goal.com[6] marca.com
In line with the pragmatic attitude of the current German national team, coach Julian Nagelsmann is prioritizing solutions over alibis, despite the numerous absences of key players. He has expressed his ambition to win the Nations League, placing it as a significant stepping-stone towards the 2026 World Cup, even though some experts might find it hard to identify the trophy.
Amidst the PSG trio of Vitinha, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes, who recently denied Inter Milan's participation in the Champions League final, Nagelsmann has acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming match against Portugal. However, he remains optimistic, emphasizing the importance of team unity and self-belief in their pursuit of success in sports, such as football.
