analysis
DFB team
Julian, the builder: Nagelsmann is working on a new offensive
DFB coach Julian Nagelsmann has to work hard on the squad again
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Four injured field players and a poor goalkeeper: Instead of working on the fine-tuning, Julian Nagelsmann, as national coach, suddenly has to play the role of manager of the shortage.
No, the national coach almost exclusively had good news to deliver. For example, he contacted the Stuttgart attacker Jamie Leweling and said: “This is Julian Nagelsmann. When I call it’s either bad news or good news. They’re good ones for you.”
Three newcomers in Julian Nagelsmann’s squad
What Nagelsmann so casually called into his smartphone was Leweling’s nomination for the two Nations League games on Friday against Bosnia-Herzegovina (8.45 p.m., RTL) and next Monday against the Netherlands (8.45 p.m., ZDF). The 23-year-old winger is now in the DFB squad for the first time. A late reward for the previous season, when Leweling played a key role in Stuttgart’s surprise success. VfB came second in the league – ahead of record champions Bayern Munich.
Nagelsmann also had good news for Tim Kleindienst (Mönchengladbach) and Jonathan Burkardt (Mainz). They were also allowed to travel to the German camp in Herzogenaurach for the first time, where the national team is preparing for the two international matches starting today.
The fact that the national coach is so generous in handing out invitations to the senior national team has a sad background for him: almost half a dozen players from the 2024 European Championship squad had to withdraw due to injury. Jamal Musiala, Niclas Füllkrug, Kai Havertz and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen are out; In addition, Frankfurt central defender Robin Koch reported at short notice on Monday that he was unwell; Kevin Schade from Brentford FC is replacing him.
Nagelsmann will be in demand as a builder this week. He has to reorganize the entire offensive: both strikers, Füllkrug and Havertz, are missing, as is their ball carrier Musiala.
Filling jug will be the hardest to replace. There are many talented, fine feet in the German team, but powerful strikers like Füllkrug who are strong in the air are a rarity.
Tim Kleindienst is a latecomer
In his time of need, Nagelsmann has now resorted to 28-year-old Tim Kleindienst, who has had a strong season in Heidenheim and is now one of the few better players in the struggling Gladbach team. But is that enough to compete internationally, for example against the strong Dutch? Nagelsmann is hoping for a similar development to Füllkrug, 31, who is also a latecomer and made his debut in the DFB team at the age of 29.
Nagelsmann has always loved experimenting (his last bet in the European Championship quarter-finals against Spain with Sané/Can for Wirtz/Andrich didn’t work out at all), but the national coach had not planned such major interventions in the team structure for this block of international matches. On the contrary. After the resignations of Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gündogan, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller, Nagelsmann wanted to stabilize the team in early autumn. His motto was as few change processes, as little transformation as possible. This is also why he once again chose the tiny house village “Home Ground” in Herzogenaurach as the base camp for the course – the national team had already moved into this during the European Championships.
And now a change against our will. With new players that Nagelsmann does not have in mind for the next big tournament, the 2026 World Cup. Kleindienst will probably no longer receive an invitation once Füllkrug is fit again and Maximilian Beier has gained a foothold in Dortmund. Jamie Leweling will also have a hard time asserting himself against Musiala, Wirtz, Sané or Gnabry in two years.
Will the team’s statics falter against Bosnia?
For Nagelsmann, the games against Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands will bring one thing above all else: whether players from the second and third rows can step in without the entire team structure being shaken. Otherwise, this international squad will be nothing more than an original entry in the DFB chronicle. He will never be appointed like this again – which means that Nagelsmann will have to have a few unpleasant conversations before the next course in November. He then has to explain to the many new people why he unfortunately cannot take them into account this time.
Although, as a consolation, the door to the national team always remains open.