News (engl.)

On Wednesday, Julian Nagelsmann was a guest at the Bund Deutscher Fußball-Lehrer’s Internationale Trainer-Kongress in Leipzig. The Germany head coach was invited to outline his side’s journey ahead of the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA next summer. He also looked back on the semi-finals of the Nations League earlier this summer, and on the EUROs in Germany just over a year ago.

Host Michael Leopold asked the national team coach a wide range of questions, and Julian Nagelsmann gave complete answers to all of them. In his usual candid manner, the 38-year-old discussed topics relating to the team and to his own role, and interspersed this with witty remarks which amused those in attendance. He was particularly precise in answering certain questions, including those about his current squad.

He spoke about…

…Joshua Kimmich: The captain, who played as a right-back at the EUROs, is set to return to the holding midfield role – the “six” – because, as Julian Nagelsmann put it, “he’s simply one of two or three players who will always play there for their club.” The head coach also explained that Kimmich’s positioning as a number six fits the structural adjustments he and the coaching team are planning. Nagelsmann described that area of the pitch – typically occupied by two players – as “the beating heart of any team.” He added, “We’ve mapped out how it should work.” And part of that involves “having players in that role who are in rhythm.” That said, Nagelsmann still sees Kimmich as the best right-back in the Bundesliga. If the system he is currently envisaging, including the new candidates for those positions, does not work out, things could still change – and the Germany captain may yet return to his EURO 2024 role.

…Marc-André ter Stegen: The Barcelona goalkeeper is currently sidelined with a back injury, but remains the long-term number one in goal for Germany. However, Julian Nagelsmann did make clear that the 33-year-old must be “fully fit” and the first-choice keeper at his club to keep that status. At the same time, Nagelsmann ruled out the possibility of a surprise inclusion between the sticks for the upcoming international fixtures – something that had been speculated about in recent media coverage. He also dismissed the idea of a return for Bayern’s Manuel Neuer. “As things stand,” he said, there are no such considerations. That said, the door remains open in principle for any active footballer “with a German passport.” Overall, the national team coach said he has “absolutely no concerns” about the goalkeeper position, thanks to the top-level personnel available.

…Jamal Musiala: The FC Bayern star is one of Julian Nagelsmann’s key players in attack, but remains sidelined until autumn with a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle sustained at the Club World Cup in the USA. The national team coach recently visited the 22-year-old and is optimistic about seeing him back on the pitch this year. “He’s doing well under the circumstances,” Nagelsmann commented. “The injury looked worse than it actually is. It’s been stabilised well and is healing as expected. He’ll be back quicker than many think. He’s in very good hands with the medical team under Dr Jochen Hahne, who we also fully trust as part of our national team setup.” Another reason for the coach’s optimism that his midfield maestro could be back to his best for the World Cup: “Jamal’s a street footballer. He might be able to bounce back from an injury like this better than most.”

During the press event in the main hall of Leipzig Zoo’s congress centre, preparations for next summer’s World Cup also came up. The national team coach and his staff recently held a workshop to raise and discuss all the key questions around the tournament. While the immediate goal is, of course, to qualify during the upcoming international fixtures, Nagelsmann said that early preparation is part of a professional approach. He pointed out that staging a tournament across three large countries makes things especially complex – even just choosing a base camp location is far from straightforward.

In that context, Nagelsmann also commented once again on his statement following the EURO quarter-final defeat to Spain, when he said they would have to wait two years to become world champions. “What I meant was not that we will be world champions – but that we want to be,” he clarified. “Every elite athlete wants to win. A gold-medal swimmer doesn’t get halfway down the pool and say, ‘I’m turning back now.’ And we’re also going to the World Cup – if we qualify – with the aim of winning it. That doesn’t mean we’re the favourites. But with that comment, I wanted to signal that we’ve got serious ambitions.”

Nagelsmann also gave insights into the takeaways from the EURO and the Final Four of the Nations League, based on the national team’s internal analysis.

These were the key points he touched on…

…basic formation: With key player Toni Kroos now retired and some EURO squad members no longer regular starters at club level, Julian Nagelsmann will no longer be deploying his side in the same setup. In other words, he intends to tailor the system to fit the players at his disposal. This includes the return of Joshua Kimmich to the holding midfield role.

…defensive stability: One of the reasons the national team coach identified for the two recent defeats was a lack of balance between attacking play and defensive stability. Nagelsmann announced that he plans to adopt a more defensive mindset in the months ahead. That means orienting the team more towards defensive solidity and adapting to “the opponent’s strengths. The balance has to be right,” he noted. “We don’t need to be Spain 2.0,” but instead take a more “old-school” approach and be prepared to “think and defend the German way.”

…mentality: Given that not every position in the squad is filled with equal quality – something that has also been true of past Germany teams – the coach said he intends to focus more on resilience, team spirit and passion. After all, it still holds true that you don’t need 11 Ballon d’Or winners to win the World Cup. That’s why, over the next six games, he wants to see his team push themselves to their “absolute limits,” regardless of the quality of the opposition. “We want to stabilise our performances,” he added.

…looking ahead to the World Cup: With an eye on the tournament a year from now and the capabilities of his squad, Julian Nagelsmann made it clear that he expects commitment and full motivation from his players for every single match. “If we manage to go beyond our limits in every game,” said the coach, “then we can be world-class” – and potentially World Cup winners too.