Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart was one of the most prominent players in the squad that national coach Julian Nagelsmann had for the upcoming international friendly matches against Switzerland (March 27th, from 8:15 p.m. live on free TV on RTL) and Ghana (March 30, 8:45 p.m.) were missing. Now the midfielder is supposedly getting his chance after all.
“We have Felix Nmecha in the six position, who is having a very good season, and Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is playing for the team that is certainly the most stable in Europe. I see them a bit ahead at the moment,” explained Julian Nagelsmann, explaining why he did without Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart. The DFB coach continued that he appreciated the 24-year-old, but did not see him as a regular player at the World Cup or as a typical substitute.
Nagelsmann also added self-critically: “In the last course we had five sixes, three of whom didn’t play for a second, including Angelo. […] We had too many sixes and the balance wasn’t right. Now we have every position filled exactly twice.”
Stiller was most recently involved in the DFB debacle
Since Pavlovic had to cancel his participation in the friendly double pack on Sunday due to hip flexor problems, there is now space in the squad for a new six. According to “Bild”, Nagelsmann nominates Stiller.
Stiller has five senior international matches to his name, but was last on the pitch in the 0-2 debacle against Slovakia as part of the World Cup qualification – and, like almost all other DFB players on the pitch, was disappointing.
In November 2025, the national coach completely dispensed with Stiller.
However, the Munich native has been a player at VfB Stuttgart for years. Since he moved to the Ländle from TSG Hoffenheim in 2023, Stiller has played 124 competitive games for the Swabians.
It is currently unclear whether Stiller’s VfB teammate Jamie Leweling can travel to the national team. The winger missed Stuttgart’s Bundesliga game against Augsburg due to muscular problems.
