Left-back David Raum has lost his place in the starting eleven of the German national soccer team to Nathaniel Brown. He doesn’t want to complain about it, but instead praises his opponent.
Some topics are standard at a major soccer tournament. The district is illuminated from all angles, although glimpses into the corners are rare. Then there is the German record in opening games. The players’ leisure activities. And usually an injured person who is expected to receive daily bulletins.
Another classic question is asking players whether they mind the advances of other clubs, which are either confirmed or rumored.
David Raum (l.) has lost his regular place to Nathaniel Brown.
That’s why Nathaniel Brown was asked in Chicago before the friendly against the USA about his possible move to FC Bayern Munich, which has been the subject of speculation for weeks. “I’m fully focused on the World Cup. That’s why I won’t comment on that right now,” said Brown. This answer is also a classic.
David Raum was not asked about a possible change on Wednesday (June 10, 2026). Instead, he was asked whether he was still in demand for the starting eleven. A few weeks ago the question had not arisen, because Raum was considered as a left-back as Joshua Kimmich was as a right-winger.
It is important that the mood is good.
He’s officially no longer that. He himself announced it in a press conference that had the makings of a classic because the two Leipzig players, Assan Ouédraogo and his local captain Raum, were very entertaining.
Ouédraogo, 20 years old and called up to replace the injured Lennart Karl, was inspired by his teammate, eight years his senior, who acts as a booth DJ and for whom it is “important that the atmosphere is good.”
Raum wants to lead by example
Raum wants to lead by example. “I accept my role and when I come into the game, I give it my all. Even if I don’t play from the start, the team knows that they can rely on me,” said Raum. He is pleased that national coach Julian Nagelsmann is “spoiled for choice”.
Brown, called “Nene” by everyone, “plays a very offensive game in Frankfurt and does it outstandingly,” said the Leipzig player, praising his colleague who has overtaken him. He and Brown are “completely different types of players” and that the Frankfurt player “always moves into the center, just like we do here in the national team.” And that, according to Raum, is probably one of the reasons why he will now be on the bench, at least at the beginning of the tournament.
Another is that he recently had difficulties in Leipzig “also because of an injury”.
Also initially on the bench at the European Championships
The World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is the third major tournament for Raum. He prepared two goals at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Two years later at the European Championships, he initially only sat on the bench because Maximilian Mittelstädt was preferred.
In the third game against Switzerland he came on as a substitute for Stuttgart, in stoppage time he prepared the 1-1 final score and therefore had a starting place in the following two games in the knockout round against Denmark and Spain.
Demand for the tattoo higher than a flank
He had the scene of the cross with which he served Niclas Füllkrug the equalizer tattooed. The demands are higher for the upcoming World Cup. Raum and national coach Julian Nagelsmann have agreed that if they win the title, they will go to the tattoo artist together and choose the same motif.
“Because of the two previous World Championships, no one expects anything from us. We can show the world how good we are,” said Raum: “No one came here to come third.”