National soccer team: Nagelsmann turns a blind eye: check the Hungary game

After the end of a successful and exciting international year, Joshua Kimmich chatted about what was happening in the dressing room. Of course, the captain didn’t reveal any secrets – rather, he provided a suitable atmosphere. There was applause after Julian Nagelsmann’s words. Even if the 1-1 draw against Hungary in the last group game of the Nations League was not a continuation of the recent football celebrations, the national team’s prospects are still promising.

“In general, of course, we still have room for improvement, but overall we are already on a very, very good path,” said Kimmich. Nagelsmann also moved between pride and optimism. The national coach was able to divide his findings into three categories on the cold, wet evening in Budapest.

Lessons from the game in Hungary:

Nagelsmann was realistic. This game was not a benchmark given the circumstances he himself caused with nine starting changes and a B-eleven without any warm-up time. The national coach was only briefly annoyed that the possible victory was given away by a controversial penalty whistle. The 37-year-old said he could “turn a blind eye.” “I can classify it. It wasn’t all bad today, but we can also do better. I would put the game behind me relatively quickly,” he added.

Of course, Nagelsmann also saw that his backups, from Julian Brandt to Chris Führich to Leroy Sané and also goal scorer Felix Nmecha, couldn’t get close to the regulars. However, they will no longer play together in this constellation. In March we will see who still met the national coach’s expectations or who falls through the cracks in the next nomination.

The lessons from the international match year 2024:

When looking back on the year, Nagelsmann became downright emotional. “That gave me a lot because we were on the ground in November and had this home European Championship as the sword of Damocles over us,” he said. The 2-0 defeat in Austria exactly a year ago had a long lasting effect.

But the development of the DFB team was a unique experience for him. “The overall feeling of unity that I feel here, in connection with the team and the staff, is something I’ve never had before. I’ve never had the feeling that there’s a lack of conviction,” praised the national coach Team spirit and commitment.

Only this flaw of missing out on the European Championship title due to the 1:2 after extra time in the quarter-finals against Spain hangs in the room as a nasty memory. Otherwise the numbers are impressive. Ten wins, four draws, one defeat. 35:10 goals. Statistically, these numbers are even better than in the year of the World Cup victory in 2014. And above all: the fans love their national team again.

The outlook for the international match year 2025 and beyond:

On Friday, Nagelsmann will find out who he will face in the quarter-finals of the Nations League in March. Italy, Denmark, Croatia? No matter, says the national coach. His sights go beyond the first knockout round and the task is to create the title potential that was still a bit lacking at the European Championships.

“If we approach 2025 the way we did in 2024 and successfully qualify for the World Cup and win the Nations League or play good games, then I believe that with a few courses we will be more prepared for a big tournament. That’s why I see it 2025 and 2026 are very positive and I believe that a lot can happen,” said Nagelsmann. If you really succeed, there will definitely be big applause.