National football team: player Wagner and the last (small) final job

Once again, Sandro Wagner’s cutting commands echoed over the training ground in Herzogenaurach. Last training, last sessions, the last game – this weekend the time of the man, who originally wanted to be a soccer world champion together with national coach Julian Nagelsmann in summer 2026.

On Sunday (3:00 p.m./RTL and DAZN), ex-international Wagner will sit one last time as an assistant, the most important to work and as a closer to the side of the 37-year-old Nagelsmann. It will be your 23rd and last international match as a boss and boss. Because it previously pushed the ambitious Wagner into the front row from the second. Wagner becomes the new head coach of FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga.

FC Augsburg instead of World Cup mission

The joint work, which began on a national team’s USA tour in October 2023, remains unfinished. It should actually be crowned in North America in 2026 with the World Cup title. But Wagner rises prematurely from the joint project.

The former Bundesliga professional wants to “take the next step”, as he said – now, and not only after the World Cup. “It is no secret that it is my big wish to work as a head coach myself,” he said.

Wagner’s last DFB goal after the chief decision and the yes word to the FCA was the winning of the Nations League. The little title request does not meet after the sobering 1: 2 in the semi-finals against Portugal.

Wagner’s last DFB stage is not the grand finale in Munich with an emotional EM revanche against Spain. But the small final for third place in Stuttgart. After all, also against a great nation in world football.

Undav: “Of course we will be missing Sandro”

The national players want to give Wagner a gift in the farewell game. And say thank you. “Of course we will be missing Sandro. Of course we will miss Sandro,” said Stuttgart attacker Deniz Undav. “And of course we want to best end his last game with a win.”

In the black training suit, Wagner gave his instructions during the final training for the prestige duel with the French, in which Champions League winner Ousmane Dembélé was injured. At the DFB team, all 24 players around Captain Joshua Kimmich were present in the Stuttgart venue in the HomeGround by DFB partner Adidas in front of the bus ride from Franconia.

Wagner has made a name for himself in the playing group in the less than two years. Also as a player – because of his football vita. “He knows how we players tick. He was a player himself at a high level. He always had a very good bond with the players,” said Undav. The eight -time international (5 goals) is estimated internally. “The Sandro has a lot of idea about football. He knows what to do. He learned a lot,” said Undav. He absolutely trusts the chief job in Augsburg.

Nagelsmann had hoped that Wagner would fulfill his DFB contract by 2026. But as a trainer who himself became boss in the Bundesliga at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, he cannot be angry with him. “I can personally understand Sandro’s wish to become head coaches well and respect his decision,” said Nagelsmann. The eloquent Wagner, sometimes an expert TV expert, always worked loyally in the background.

Völler’s idea became a permanent solution

For Wagner, a circle closes against the World Cup second in France. In September 2023, after the separation of national coach Hansi Flick, sports director Rudi Völler jumped in for a game as an interim team leader. He got Hannes Wolf from the German U20 juniors and his assistant coach Wagner as a helper.

Together they celebrated a 2-1 win in Dortmund. Völler was impressed by Wagner. A little later this was a co-trainer of Völler’s desired coach Nagelsmann. And all three – Nagelsmann and Wagner on the edge of the field as well as Völler on the top of the stands – would like to experience a success against France again in the Stuttgart stadium. It would be a conciliatory (seasonal) end.