National team
Hard work and sayings: Nagelsmann praises assistant Wagner
National coach Julian Nagelsmann (l) praises his assistant coach Sandro Wagner. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
Julian Nagelsmann once trained Sandro Wagner in Hoffenheim. Now the ex-striker is his assistant with the national team. The collaboration works, also because flippant words are sometimes used.
“He is sensationally good, incredibly hard-working, structured,” said the DFB head coach about Wagner. The chemistry between boss and assistant – both born in 1987 – is obviously right before the premiere (9 p.m. / RTL) against the USA in Hartford.
Distance and relaxedness
Nagelsmann also likes Wagner’s “cheeky sayings in all directions.” His assistant coach also manages to maintain the necessary distance from former teammates and still be relaxed. For example, Wagner once played with Thomas Müller at FC Bayern.
During training in Foxborough before the US premiere, the assistant increasingly took on more tasks on the pitch. Nagelsmann’s long-time assistant coach Benjamin Glück, whom the boss brought with him to the DFB, is more of an observer and personal confidant of the national coach.
Responsible for organizational matters
Wagner relieves his boss of detailed questions. Right down to switching on the lawn sprinklers on the training ground at exactly the right time. “He takes care of everything organizationally for me,” said Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann made it clear that only he would do the media work. He wants to sit on this stage himself and not Wagner, who gave up his job as a ZDF expert for his new role.
The national coach only has one concern. That Wagner himself soon wants to become a head coach somewhere again and that the collaboration is therefore over. The Munich team led SpVgg Unterhaching into the 3rd league this summer. Afterwards he actually moved to the DFB as assistant to Hannes Wolf at the U20. Maybe Wagner also wants to revive an old DFB tradition. Assistants have later become national coaches themselves six times.