“At the regulars’ table you get applause for it”
Criticism of Nagelsmann: DFB boss counters in live TV
25.06.2025 – 10:01 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
While the German U21 has so far convinced at the European Championship, a discussion about Julian Nagelsmann is ignited. Andreas Rettig now counters public criticism.
Although the German U21 national team at the European Championships in Slovakia attracts a sporting point of view, one part is aimed at personnel away from the lawn: national coach Julian Nagelsmann has not been in the stadium in any game of the DFB juniors. Ex-international Markus Babbel criticized the lack of commitment-and now received a counterattack.
Before the kick-off of the European Championship half-final between Germany and France, Andreas Rettig allowed himself a verbal tissue against Babbel: “Of course you get applause at the regulars’ table, that’s no question, Markus,” said the DFB managing director at Sat.1.
Previously, Sat.1 expert Babbel said: “For me it is actually a compulsory appointment for the A-trainer. One always talks about how closely everything is-and then you give the impression: In the end, I don’t care.”
Unlike Rettig and Rudi Völler, DFB sports director, national coach Nagelsmann has so far not followed the German U21 game in Slovakia in the stadium. During a final in the German team around striker Nick Woltemade, he wants to be a grandstandast on Saturday (from 9:00 p.m. in the T-Online Live ticker) in Bratislava. “The national coach will come when we are in the final,” confirmed Rettig.
The impression should not arise “that our national coach is on the couch somewhere at home and that in the end it is not interested in the topic,” said Rettig, spoke of a “typical German topic”. Even many other national coaches would not have made their way to Slovakia yet, “nobody asks”.