National soccer team: Spain pain as a drive: Nagelsmann makes pace

When Bayern star Jamal Musiala checked in the football shirt by NFL professional Amon-Ra St. Brown in the Dortmund wellness hotel, Julian Nagelsmann had long since been there. With a gray laptop backpack on his back, the national coach drove autographs for the waiting fans.

“If this goes on like this, I never come to Milan,” joked the impatient Nagelsmann before the double Italy cracker and then disappeared briskly in the DFB team quarters actually oriented towards relaxation.

Of course, the sauna and massage were out of the question for Nagelsmann. For Captain Joshua Kimmich and his colleague around Leon Goretzka, the DFB chief coach had prepared a very special approach in front of the explosive Nation League quarter-finals against the Squadra Azzurra on the day of arrival.

EM-out as a special drive

Nagelsmann wants to pack the national players in Milan on Thursday (8:45 p.m./ARD) in Milan and three days later in Dortmund emotionally. The 37-year-old does not fall back on the eventful Italian history of the national football team, but on the still large and also fresher Spain pain of the past em summer. The quarter-final ko against the European Championship triumphate should be a drive for your own hunger for title.

“In the preview of the two games, you are also confronted with the scene of the EM, mostly also with the scene of the Spain game or with scenes from the Spain game, and it triggers a certain feeling for me,” said Nagelsmann. He meant – without explicitly expressing it – the much -discussed and unsuspected handball of Spain’s Marc Cucurella from the unhappily lost European Championship quarter -finals in Stuttgart.

Nagelsmann wants maximum energy through despite disappointment. “If a large part of the team develops the same feeling, we are on a perfect way. If we all develop, we are ready to achieve the big goals we have,” said the national coach.

The goal is clear: in June the title in the Nations League, quasi as a warm-up for the World Cup triumph 2026. Archrival and fear opponent Italy must not once again become a stumbling block again, as in Dortmund, of all things, at the tearful World Cup semi-finals in 2006.

Rudi Völler expressed a warning from his own large Italian wealth of experience. “With all the optimism: of course we want to get ahead, but we are aware that, like Inter Milan, the Italian national team is difficult to play,” said the DFB sports director when he arrived at the Teamhotel. As always, Italy is “a hard chunk”.

Nagelsmann has to clarify several personal details in a quick run. Who replaces the injured offensive coryphaeen Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz? What should the central defensive look like without Aleksandar Pavlovic? And who does he make the number 1? In any case, Völler already makes it clear that the difficult personnel situation must not serve as an excuse.

“Of course it hurts. But in such a phase of the leagues and the Champions League, there are failures and injuries, other associations have that too. We have to do that. And we will catch up! We will still deliver two good games,” promised the DFB sports director. Nagelsmann is now looking for solutions and answers.

In goal production, the national coach has to prove creativity without the “quality players” Wirtz and Havertz. The only remaining fixed point on the offensive is Bayern magician Musiala. For this purpose, Gladbacher Tim Kleindienst should be at the forefront as a center forward.

Bavaria’s Leroy Sané is likely to be the first successor for the injured regulars. The Stuttgart Deniz Undav is “not on the peak” in terms of performance, ie in top form, as Nagelsmann noted. For Undav, his quota speaks (3 goals in 5 international matches). The national coach described the Mainz DFB returnee Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Burkardt as well as Stuttgart Jamie Leweling as the perfect, because hungry joker.

Maybe Nagelsmann should have appointed Nick Woltemade as a newcomer. In the 3: 4 against Leverkusen, he not only showed how good the 23 -year -old Stuttgart is on his goal. But Woltemade is still intended for the U21 juniors.

Leon Goretzka’s 57th international match was for 16 months. After the 0: 2 against Austria, Nagelsmann sorted him out. And now? Should the Goretzka, which has risen again at FC Bayern, to solve the midfield problems. The 30-year-old arrived at the team hotel very relaxed with sunglasses.

Youngster Pavlovic is ill with the Pfeiffer glandular fever and fails. The veteran Pascal Groß and Robert Andrich are far from the European Championship constitution in 2024. This caused Nagelsmann to be used at Goretzka: “Leon is sporty in a very good phase.” Both conducted “a clarifying conversation” and created a new working base.

Marc-André Ter Stegen, whom Nagelsmann had proclaimed after the European Championship for the new number one after Manuel Neuers DFB resignation, has been injured for months. The interplay in the goal between Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann and Stuttgart Alexander Nübel now ends in the last four international matches. “It is now planned that we have a number one for the two games,” announced Nagelsmann. He didn’t name the name yet.