Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann seems to have found the right recipe for what makes the German national team tick. One would be hard pressed to find fans that were not proud of Germany’s outing at the EUROs, having only lost to the eventual winners of the tournament, Spain — and Germany could have won the match if a few calls had gone the other way.
They did not show any signs of a hangover from the aforementioned quarter-finals loss to Spain when they thrashed Hungary 5-0 in Düsseldorf in the UEFA Nations League, setting a marker for what is to come under Nagelsmann in the buildup to the 2026 World Cup. There is plenty of reason to be hopeful and optimistic for German football fans with the brand of football Nagelsmann has them playing.
It was recently revealed that the former Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and TSG Hoffenheim manager has centered his internal player leadership council around defensive leadership in what was once spearheaded by Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller, all of whom are not currently playing for the national team. Now, Joshua Kimmich is the captain of the team and at the head of the internal hierarchy of players, followed by Marc-André ter Stegen, Pascal Groß, and Antonio Rüdiger.
In a press conference ahead of the Nations League clash with the Netherlands, Nagelsmann stressed the importance of having this internal group of players act as leadership liaisons for the rest of the squad. “You always have to weigh up the current situation we are in and then it’s about developing a long-term perspective, because there’s a World Cup in two years. It could be that players are here now and are the right fit for the team, but they won’t be here in two years. That’s why we’re doing quite well with the path we’ve chosen,” he explained (via @iMiaSanMia).
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
For now, there is a clear structure in place, balance within the team, and a clear vision under Nagelsmann. All of the right tools are in the right place for the team to have continued success in the buildup to the next World Cup and the qualifying process for it. Of course, there could always be some personnel changes along the way to his leadership council, but it exists for a reason.
In case you missed it, France Football left Jamal Musiala out of their Ballon d’Or top 30, which has sparked anger among the Bayern Munich fanbase and executives alike. If you want to know why it’s such a big deal, we covered it in our newest podcast episode, alongside a discussion about Florian Wirtz vs Paul Wanner and whom Bayern Munich should get first. Listen to it below or on Spotify.
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