News (engl.)

The Germany national team are set to start their bid for qualification for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, with Nagelsmann’s side coming up against Luxembourg, Northern Ireland and Slovakia in Group A. The first match against Slovakia is set for Thursday, 4th September at 20:45 CEST in Bratislava. As part of the build-up, head coach Nagelsmann and captain Joshua Kimmich spoke to DFB.de about team news and the campaign ahead.

Julian Nagelsmann on...

...having a three- or four-man defence: We’ve always stayed versatile in that respect, whether in our preparation for the EUROs, during the tournament itself or since then. We can be flexible, as we know that different oppositions will require different set-ups. It could be either a back-three or back-four.

...his team’s development: In the end, it’s all about rhythm. I hope that we can become more assured as a group and stop losing games where we’ve taken the lead, such as against Portugal. The last two defeats have knocked the confidence, and this can only be built back up by winning games.

...setting a target of lifting the World Cup: I think it’s always good to set yourself goals. It’s difficult for a team that hasn’t set itself goals to be motivated to fight to achieve something. We’ve set ourselves this goal for a reason and I’m sure no player would disagree with it. We need to focus on the here and now and take each game as it comes; the whole process is crucial in order for us to achieve our goal.

...upcoming opponents Slovakia: I think they play good and interesting football. In our analysis of their games, I’ve found them to be a team that defends bravely, presses high, attempts to get the ball down and play, and doesn’t just hit long balls. Their games have been interesting to watch.

...Nick Woltemade: He’s no different than he is usually. There’s no reason for Nick to take his foot off the gas now. Plus he’ll be able to impress his new club and coach on the international stage.

...Florian Wirtz: He’s one of our most important players. He is hard-working and doesn’t stop running. The period before his move was tricky for him as there was a lot going on around him. It’s natural to need a bit of time to settle in at a new club. He will start scoring and assisting goals for Liverpool, but he’s welcome to get a head start with us (laughs).

...uncapped players Nnamdi Collins and Paul Nebel: They’ve both done well in training, but you can’t judge everything off of one and a half training sessions. Nnamdi is very versatile and can also play at right-back. He’s also played a bit more offensively for his club and in the U21s. Paul had made a good impression too and hasn’t seemed all that nervous.

Joshua Kimmich on...

...World Cup qualifying: First of all, it’s a new thing for us to have to go through qualification again, as we automatically qualified for the last tournament at the EUROs as a host nation. You only qualify by playing well and getting results. We want to start that tomorrow.

...losing in the Nations League: The way in which we lost those games was especially disappointing. There was a certain mentality lacking across both games, which was especially noticeable against a side like Portugal. We didn’t show our hunger and desire to win the game, and it’s important that we do that in these qualifying games.

...his Germany debut nine years ago against Slovakia: It rained very heavily and the game had to be paused. We ended up losing and the player I was marking from corners scored twice. Kicker ended up giving me a very low rating (laughs).

...his role in midfield: Personally, I believe that playing in midfield allows me to bring out more of my strengths. It’s doesn’t matter to me where I play, as I just try and do whatever is asked of me in any position. In the end, it is the coach’s decision as to where I am needed.