National team: Nagelsmann’s EM greeting: title will against quiet doubts

On Toni Kroos and Manuel Neuer’s free Sunday, Julian Nagelsmann’s clear European Championship message went out to the competition across Europe once again, despite the quiet doubts at home.

“It goes without saying that we want to be as successful as possible at a European Championship that is taking place in our own country,” UEFA quoted the national coach on its website, who himself stayed with his family for a final breather before returning to the European Championship camp in Herzogenaurach.

In the English version of the association’s website, the announcement sounded even bolder: “The normal goal: we want to win it.” It was not clear whether UEFA had obtained the quotes from Nagelsmann before or after the national football team’s bumpy dress rehearsal against Greece. Regardless, the post was in keeping with the national coach’s basic attitude. Nagelsmann is staying the course and is not letting himself be deterred.

Nagelsmann with firm principles

And Nagelsmann wants to approach the countdown to the opening match against Scotland on Monday at the home ground with an uncompromisingly positive mood. Against all imaginable noises from outside. The doubts about the tournament’s strength after the late and laborious 2:1 test victory on Friday should not gain the upper hand over the overall state of the DFB team. Doubts about goalkeeper Neuer are also strictly taboo, even after the continuation of the series of mistakes.

“I believe in the team enormously,” declared Nagelsmann, and verbally floated away into tournament spheres that sounded rather utopian after the final 90 minutes of testing. “We can achieve great things. We will do everything humanly possible to win the title,” he said, addressing his message to the German fans. On Sunday, they were surely recorded again digitally in England, Spain and France.

This time, Rudi Völler took on the role of the optimistic admonisher. Lessons must be learned from the wobbles against the Greeks. And lessons will be learned, the sports director promised via “Bild”. “We have to ask ourselves why Greece had so many counter-attack opportunities against us. That was not good! Unfortunately, we were too sluggish and too careless at the beginning, especially in the build-up play,” complained Völler.

Völler sees the learning effect

“Something like that must not happen to us on Friday, when we open against the Scots! The players know that now and are questioning themselves. And that’s a good thing. So I see it as almost a positive thing that we made these mistakes out now and not at the European Championships. Our players’ senses are definitely sharpened before the Scotland game,” Völler added. Kroos had already stated before his family weekend in Madrid: “We knew that we weren’t as good as we were made out to be in March.”

Nagelsmann’s work assignments are clear. Neuer, as number one, must be defended against all attacks. “I don’t care what is discussed in the media. It has been discussed before and discussed countless times,” said Nagelsmann. Neuer is playing in his eighth major tournament in a row since 2010 at the European Championships. That’s it.

The tired “magicians” Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz need to be given new strength after a long and exhausting season and injuries. And captain Ilkay Gündogan, of all people, has to play against the constant doubts about his function and position. Otherwise he could become a tactical victim in the tournament.

Starting eleven practically fixed

Nagelsmann will hardly change the starting eleven against Scotland. “It will look more or less the same as today,” he announced vaguely. The national coach spoke of 13 potential players for the ten outfield positions. Nagelsmann also counts Leroy Sané in this group, who was able to make a name for himself in his 45-minute comeback after a three-match suspension and his tricky pubic bone problem.

Nagelsmann decided on his principles for the European Championship early on. After two weeks of preparation, first in Blankenhain and then in Herzogenaurach, the test matches against Ukraine (0:0) and Greece (2:1) give the impression that the national coach will have to drag some of his targets to the finish line by the deadline of June 14. Good mood included. “In the end, the victory was good for the overall mood,” said Nagelsmann. “And late goals are really cool for a team’s psyche,” he remarked after Pascal Groß’s last-minute goal.

Fans as an important factor

The countdown week begins on Monday in Franconia with a public training session. 4,000 spectators will be there from 4 p.m. in the Adi Dassler Stadium. Nagelsmann and his 26 European Championship players will quickly realize what a big factor they are being given free of charge. Because the fans are ready. Grateful for every spark of tournament hope, they also enthusiastically celebrated the good moments in Mönchengladbach.

We need the support of the fans, that will give us a boost,” said Gündogan. Even in the sold-out Borussia Park, it was once again clear how much they want to support and celebrate their team, how much they long for success and a collective party atmosphere after three botched tournaments. The cult song “Völlig losgelöst”, dug out of the musical mothballs, provides the summer melody. Major Tom literally hovers over the national team like a good spirit.