At the international match in Mainz
That was on the back of Julian Nagelsmann
June 1, 2026 – 7:22 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
During the international match against Finland, national coach Julian Nagelsmann wears a simple, black T-shirt. But there is a message hidden on the back.
Julian Nagelsmann could be relieved in the end. While his team’s game against Finland on Sunday was uninspired and uninspiring at times in the first half, the DFB team celebrated a 4-0 victory in the last test match before flying to the USA thanks to an outstanding opening phase of the second half. Nagelsmann and his players said goodbye to the fans in Mainz to much applause.
Even before kick-off, the players caught the national coach’s eye – because of their pink shoes. “I noticed during the warm-up that almost everyone had the same color shoes. But I actually thought it was really cool, I like pink anyway, nice color,” said the national coach at the press conference after the game when asked by a reporter.
Name on Nagelsmann’s T-shirt – what’s behind it
Nagelsmann himself decided not to wear pink shoes. In general, he chose a rather inconspicuous outfit, at least at first glance. But there were numerous names depicted on the national coach’s back. “I specifically chose the T-shirt with the fan names printed on the back to signal that we need everyone and take everyone with us,” he explained.
What is meant: Six months ago, the DFB offered fans the opportunity to “apply” with their name. Some of the names ended up on the team bus, some on the players’ lockers – and some made it onto the national coach’s T-shirt.
Maybe it will also end up in the suitcase for the USA. The DFB team will fly to the United States on Tuesday.
