DFB team: Nagelsmann declares Havert project over – Kroos return open

Kimmich back right again?

Julian Nagelsmann revealed some plans for the coming months up to the 2024 European Championship in a quick question and answer session in the ZDF sports studio. Among other things, he ended the project with Kai Havertz as left-back, but holds out the prospect of Joshua Kimmich returning to the right defensive side. He also encouraged a DFB comeback by Toni Kroos and clarified the goalkeeping question.

“He didn’t play at the back left. But that’s over,” said Nagelsmann about Arsenal professional Havertz, who was used as a left-back in the two defeats against Turkey (2:3) and Austria (0:2). “But not because it failed. He played two very good games in this position. I don’t say that because I want to defend myself, but because I am convinced of Havertz in various positions.”

The national coach also explained and qualified his statements about defensive work (“We are not defensive monsters”). The half-sentence was missing from his statement, “if we didn’t change anything about the squad structure,” said Nagelsmann. “That’s the crucial sentence that I haven’t said yet. Shortly after the game, you don’t have any thoughts about what the next squad might look like. We learned lessons from these games, good lessons. We have to change the squad structure a bit in order to become more defensive monsters.”

Nagelsmann emphasized that he wasn’t referring to individual players at all, but rather to the composition of a first eleven – whether they thought defensively or more offensively. “You simply have to say that the distribution would not be 100 percent appropriate for the status we are in right now. “We will therefore make adjustments to the structure of the first eleven.”

Nagelsmann: Kimmich’s return as a right-back in the DFB team is possible

Part of these adjustments could include moving Kimmich back to the right-back position. “Through a small adjustment, it’s not a 180-degree change, Josh is also a candidate for this position,” said Nagelsmann. He “of course” spoke to the FC Bayern professional about it: “I don’t think it would be wise to sit here and say (it) without informing him about it.”

Until now, Nagelsmann actually saw Kimmich in midfield. As a sixth man alongside captain İlkay Gündoğan, the 28-year-old wasn’t necessarily able to convince. However, the defense hasn’t always looked solid in previous games either. Nagelsmann said he never ruled out that Kimmich would play in the right-back position.

Many fans would like to see Kroos return for the vacant spot in the center of midfield, who ended his career in the DFB team after the 2021 European Championship. Teammate Antonio Rüdiger had recently fueled speculation about a comeback by the 33-year-old 2014 world champion. Nagelsmann also described this as an “interesting thought” and added: “You have to think about all the players who have a German passport, I think that’s my job.”

DFB team: Manuel Neuer probably in goal at the 2024 European Championship

Nagelsmann answered the question about the personnel between the posts relatively clearly. “If everything continues as it currently seems towards March, then it will come down to this,” he said, referring to Manuel Neuer as the regular goalkeeper.

Competitor Marc-André ter Stegen (31) from FC Barcelona will be out for a good two months after back surgery. Ter Stegen had already missed the DFB team’s two test matches against Turkey (2:3) and in Austria (0:2) because of back problems. Neuer (37) celebrated a strong comeback at FC Bayern Munich after breaking his tibia and fibula. “I talk to him a lot. I think his performance is outstanding,” said Nagelsmann about Neuer.

Both are exceptionally good goalkeepers. But Ter Stegen is currently injured – we’ll see how he comes out of the injury. “In the end, football is about being successful together. If one of the two is clearly better than the other in March, then I have the joy but also the pain of making decisions in both a positive and negative sense,” said Nagelsmann.

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