Fan Nagelsmann: "There's too much conversation going on"
The upcoming European Championship will put footballers to the test in terms of adhering to rules against discussing, complaining, and getting excited. Referees are instructed to enforce this consistently, and Germany's national coach, Julian Nagelsmann, finds this approach good but worries about potential bans.
Nagelsmann supports the new, strict approach against talking in football and has warned the national players for the tournament. "I think the rule is good, very good. There's just too much talking in football, even from me. It's not just the players, that's also me," said the national coach during a practice game.
Nagelsmann is concerned about the sudden implementation of the new rules immediately before the season highlight, fearing numerous yellow cards and bans during the tournament. "It may be a bit late, it was the first game where it was noticeable that this rule is being applied. It's not easy for players who have been used to certain behavior for years," he added.
At the Champions League final, referee Slavko Vincic had already employed the UEFA directive where only captains can intervene with the referee. Players Nico Schlotterbeck and Marcel Sabitzer received yellow cards for their minor complaints about referee decisions. This strict line will also be applied during the European Championship.
The coach is thrilled with the new rules in general, such as having a contact person for the referee and increasing the playing time without interruptions to 70 minutes. "We want to play football, and it's great that these rules are being enforced," he said.
The preparation games against Ukraine and Greece this Friday in Moenchengladbach are seen as a testing ground for the behavior rules, with Nagelsmann warning his players that they should not receive unnecessary yellow cards and bans for the tournament. Nagelsmann further announced that UEFA referee chief Roberto Rosetti will brief the players on these rules.
UEFA has set up suspensions for players after accumulating two and four yellow cards, and Nagelsmann cannot rule out violations. "But it will sometimes be unavoidable. Football is an emotional sport," he admitted. "As a coach, I know a yellow card is very expensive during the European Championship," said Nagelsmann, addressing his own behavior. "I should hold back, but I can't always, honestly."
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Nagelsmann anticipates the EURO 2024 could result in numerous penalties for talking, given the immediate implementation of strict rules. He expressed his support for the UEFA-instated contact person for referees and extended playing time.
The UEFA regulations for suspensions after two and four yellow cards have Nagelsmann concerned about potential violations during the European Football Championship 2024. Julian Nagelsmann commissions UEFA referee chief Roberto Rosetti to brief the national soccer team about these rules before their upcoming preparatory games in Moenchengladbach.
