Unfiltered Talk: Marco Rose Steps Up for Julian Nagelsmann and German National Team
In the wake of Germany's poor showings against Turkey and Austria in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose has taken a stand, backing his colleague Julian Nagelsmann and demanding improvement from the national squad.
The criticism of Nagelsmann, the new DFB coach, has grown louder following the disappointing 2:3 loss against Turkey and the 0:2 defeat in Austria. But despite the heat, Rose openly supports his fellow coach, stating, "I've only just changed the national team coach. Now we're already discussing the next one. I said to Hansi that he has my full support. I'm now saying the same about Julian."
With around seven months to go until the home European Championships, the pressure is on. As a major footballing nation, Germany boasts a wealth of talented players. According to Rose, "We are simply a big nation with a lot of talented players. I believe that we can get it right and that we will be able to celebrate success with our boys again at some point. But they are now responsible for sending out signals and moving things forward."
As for RB Leipzig, they are currently grappling with pressure of their own following recent defeats. A clash with Borussia Monchengladbach is on the horizon, offering an opportunity to turn things around for Rose's team.
Despite the mounting criticism, Rose remains unwavering in his support for Nagelsmann and firmly places the responsibility on the national team players to uplift their performance.
Insights:
RB Leipzig, led by Marco Rose, has been having a mixed bag of results. Domestically, they are holding their own, in fourth place in the Bundesliga. However, their performance in the Champions League has left much to be desired, as they were eliminated early this season.
Borussia Dortmund, under new manager Niko Kovac, have been equally under-performing. They currently have a slim chance of qualifying for the Champions League, according to Opta's predictions. The financial loss of missing out on Champions League earnings would be significant for Dortmund.
In recent international competitions, Germany's women's national team hasn't fared well either, exiting the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in the group stage and finishing third in the 2024 Olympics. This lackluster performance may be contributing to the heightened expectations surrounding the men's team and their World Cup qualifiers.
