“Doesn’t make me hopeful”
Hamann contradicts Nagelsmann argument at Undav
March 31, 2026 – 3:56 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
National coach Julian Nagelsmann faces a lot of headwind for his handling of striker Deniz Undav. Didi Hamann recognizes a misconception on the part of the national coach.
Dietmar Hamann criticized national coach Julian Nagelsmann for arguing that striker Deniz Undav only played in the second half of the friendly against Ghana on Monday evening. “If we play at the World Cup in 40 degrees – and you create three or four chances in the first few minutes like yesterday and you don’t take them – then all the effort is for nothing,” countered Hamann on Sky. For him, Undav is the most effective German striker.
In addition, the 29-year-old would not score all of his goals as a joker. He is currently the top German goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals this season, three of which he scored as a substitute. Nagelsmann had previously explained that the offensive player was not as dangerous and creative if he had to work a lot beforehand in the game.
The Sky expert said that the national coach might have acted too hastily with his distribution of roles in the attack. Kai Havertz is currently seeded, Nick Woltemade is the first challenger and Undav is the joker. However, Hamann is skeptical as to whether Woltemade will be able to overcome his form crisis by the World Cup and doubts that Kai Havertz will remain a constant goal threat after an injury break of almost a year.
“And then you put yourself in a situation where you have to crawl back. Where you have to say: By the way, Undav, I didn’t mean it like that,” said Hamann. Since the German team lacks the playing ability of the world’s best, they have to deal with this as a team. “And when the national coach keeps making statements about players possibly feeling attacked, that doesn’t make me too hopeful for the World Cup.”
