Greed for revenge
©IMAGO
The national team’s new year doesn’t start with an international match, but with a film. And the documentary “Our Team – The Home European Championship 2024”, which can be seen on “RTL” on January 11th (8:15 p.m.), is intended to whet the audience’s appetite with emotional images and exclusive insights into the innermost parts of the DFB team make sporting appearances. The national team is back in favor with the fans under Julian Nagelsmann – and it should stay that way for the next twelve months.
Especially since the national coach has a lot planned with the team around the young stars Florian Wirtz (21) and Jamal Musiala (21). Nagelsmann recently sat on a podium at the Ispo sports trade fair in Munich and talked about his “aha experiences” as a national coach, which led him to “steer the ship in the right direction again” with courageous personnel decisions.
The overall DFB situation feels good
In 2025 things should really pick up speed towards the goal of the World Cup title in 2026. “The overall situation feels good right now and is fun. It’s not just me, it’s also the players’ fault. You can see that on the pitch,” said Nagelsmann. The winning mentality is back. And the best footballers in Germany are wearing the national jersey with pride again.
A special date in Nagelsmann’s calendar is June 8th. On that day, the 37-year-old would like to win his first title with the DFB team at the Final Four of the Nations League. Nagelsmann cites Spain as a role model: 2023 Nations League winner, 2024 European champion. “It is not a guarantee that you will become world champion in 2026 if you win the Final Four in the Nations League. But it’s also a small title that you can win.”
In the coach’s and players’ wish, there will then be a big revenge with the Spaniards for the quarter-final exit at the home European Championship in 2024. Captain Joshua Kimmich (29) recently explained the dramatic 1:2 after extra time in Stuttgart in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine”. Sunday newspaper” for “the most emotional international match I’ve been able to play in so far. And we would all like to compete again.” There is still a score to be paid. “That would be a nice end to two important tournaments in our own country,” said Nagelsmann about the prospect of a kind of mini European Championship with the venues Munich and Stuttgart from June 4th to 8th.
First Italy – then Portugal and Spain?
The first requirement is a success in the quarter-finals against fearful opponents Italy on March 20th in Milan and three days later in Dortmund. “It will be two very good games for our development,” said Nagelsmann. “But it won’t be that easy to start against such a top opponent after a four-month international break.” In the semi-finals, the DFB team would then face Portugal or Denmark as the hosts of the Final Four on June 4th in Munich.
Winning the Nations League for the first time is at the top of the to-do list in the first half of the year. The second half of the year will be about successful qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Only the outcome of the Italy duel will provide clarity about the qualification group. The winners would play against Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg for the World Cup ticket. The losers go into a group of five with Norway and star striker Erling Haaland (24), Israel, Estonia and Moldova.
There will be ten international matches in 2025 – accompanied by many personnel questions. Even if Nagelsmann states with a view to the framework around captain Kimmich, defense chief Antonio Rüdiger (31) and the offensive jewels Musiala and Wirtz: “We have a core. And we’re trying to keep that core together because it’s been successful.”
DFB shadow squad around Bisseck – What will happen to Füllkrug?
But when will Marc-André ter Stegen (32) return to goal after his serious knee injury? Can youngsters Aleksandar Pavlovic (20) and Angelo Stiller (23) displace the over-30 duo Pascal Groß (33) and Robert Andrich (30) in central midfield in the coming World Cup season? And what happens to fan favorite Niclas Füllkrug? The 31-year-old striker was injured for a long time and is struggling for appearances, form and goals in England at West Ham. “Fülle hasn’t played for a long time. “It’s basically part of the core,” Nagelsmann said. But as a coach, he always has to re-evaluate how all players can find their way back to their old strength after injuries.
Nagelsmann used 33 players in the first six international matches of the season. But there is a secret list of other candidates, as the head coach revealed: “We have developed a shadow squad and are in the process of developing it in more detail in case players are unavailable.” Jamie Leweling (23), for example, appeared in October 1-0 against the Netherlands – as a goalscorer at that – just as suddenly in the DFB circle as the attackers Tim Kleindienst (29) and Jonathan Burkardt (24), who were also established forces on their debuts replaced. Felix Nmecha (24) recently benefited from a bottleneck in midfield during his DFB comeback.
The shadow squad in question should also include promising players such as Yann Bisseck (24) from Italian champions Inter Milan or Hoffenheim’s great midfield talent Tom Bischof (19). There is still a lot that can happen in the DFB squad on the long road to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.