As of: March 29, 2024, 4:33 p.m
By: Manuel Bonke, Philipp Kessler
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National coach Julian Nagelsmann wants to largely stick to his youngest Germany squad. © Nico Herbertz/Imago
If after the weak performances in November you were still worried about the DFB team with a view to the European Championship, the team has become a contender for the title.
Frankfurt - This is how fast things can happen in the German football world: While there was still fear and anxiety about the national team with a view to the European Championship after the weak performances in November, national coach Julian Nagelsmann's team has become a title contender in four months. “This team can't just become European champions, they have to become European champions,” said record national player Lothar Matthäus at an Interwetten meeting in Frankfurt, even before the game against the Netherlands kicked off, adding: “We have to try to think big again and have a responsibility to hold together as a nation.”
After the 2:1 (1:1) against the Dutch, Matthäus added on the RTL microphone: “Now they know what they can do. The team deserved to win twice against two great European teams and also showed that the substitutes fit in seamlessly. Something really big can happen.” Even the early deficit against the Dutch after four minutes didn’t faze the DFB team. Instead of breaking up as a team, as has often happened in the past, the players shook each other briefly and turned the game around with goals from Maximilian Mittelstädt (11th minute) and substitute Niclas Füllkrug (85th).
“We showed consistency, like we did against France. “We didn’t have any wild phases, but remained patient and courageous,” analyzed the Dortmund player. Before the national coach sent Füllkrug & Co back to their clubs, he gathered them in the dressing room. “I told them that the ten days from A to Z were a lot of fun. The group did really, really well, they have a very good relationship with each other, but also brutal ambition,” Nagelsmann reported from his dressing room speech.
Füllkrug explains the reasons for the DFB hype
Thanks to his clever squad composition, the 36-year-old has played a huge part in ensuring that the national team is fun again just in time for the European Championship year. Füllkrug tried to explain the reasons for the renewed hype surrounding the national team as follows: “Of course it’s a completely different group that you have together now. But then success experiences also help. We trained a new system and it worked very quickly. That felt very positive on the pitch. And that gives the players and the coach a good feeling.” The national coach also confirmed this impression: “The spirit felt completely different than in November. We hope that it will also mesh from the end of May to mid-July.”
Until then, the national players try to show a certain humility. “We are all professionals. We know where we come from. “We’re not going crazy now,” said veteran Thomas Müller. Is he now feeling more excited about the tournament in his own country? “The euphoria was there the whole time as soon as we win. People want successful football – but successful football.”
Manuel Bonke, Philipp Kessler