"Males with Lustful Intentions" Affirm Nagelsmann's European Championship Strategy
In the unexpected comeback of VfB players Chris Führich and Deniz Undav to the German soccer squad, an unusual path was taken. Their home pitch presence during the EM was also due to the team's coach's principle.
As the 84th minute answered all sports queries in Stuttgart's stadium, the spectators rose, cheering for a double special moment on the field. The captain, Ilkay Gündogan, who demonstrated his importance to the DFB team in the win against Hungary, stepped aside, and someone from the field took his place, celebrated with minutes of cheers: Deniz Undav.
In Julian Nagelsmann's coaching team, the idea of substituting local heroes in a home European Championship had been a joke for a while, but it had transformed beyond that. Nagelsmann himself couldn't pay much attention to it, he confessed before the Hungary game, but his assistants Benjamin Glück and Sandro Wagner had a keen eye for it: If you're already playing a home European championship, then local stars should be substituted in. This started with Thomas Müller in Munich against Scotland, followed by wing sensation Chris Führich and central striker Undav in Stuttgart. And perhaps Robin Koch in Frankfurt against Switzerland on Sunday? We'll see.
The two VfB stars reveal more than just a side story. One must delve deeper to uncover that: They represent the role principle established by Julian Nagelsmann in March. It remains unclear if there's a WhatsApp group where all German team coaches and players exchange ideas. However, it appears they communicate across sports. Nagelsmann was inspired by the role principle from the German basketball world champions. Coach Gordon Herbert recently explained in "Spiegel" how he did it: You need "workers" who do the hard work, and "performers" who pull off magic in crucial moments.
Inspiration from the World Champion
Nagelsmann abandoned the animal metaphor - and adapted the idea. In the DFB team's cosmos, several roles emerged. There's one with Müller, who gets along with everyone, the "Connector". Up front, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz twist and turn as "Magicians". And what Herbert's "workers" are, Nagelsmann describes much more politely: The "Contributors" around Robert Andrich and the newly nominated Emre Can clear the way for the defense.
The clear role principle influenced the EM squad. It means that not the 26 best footballers in the country are on the EM pitch, but those who together form the best team. And so it happens that a Mats Hummels and a Leon Goretzka can spend their summers on anything other than football in the DFB team - even if they might deserve it, based on their performances.
This is the result of the role principle - and a realization of basketball coach Herbert. What he gleaned from the surprising World Cup triumph, he wrote down in a book. The coaching team around Nagelsmann wanted to get a copy of it beforehand. "I discuss among other things," Herbert told "Spiegel", "that for a successful team, it's not just about the best players, but also those who can be replaced without them feeling offended."
At the end of the circle. In the early afternoon, Führich and Undav are surprisingly seated not on the bench but in the spotlight. More precisely, on the table in the press room at the EURO Quarters. The thought lingers that those without playing time might not be in the best mood. But Führich and Undav present a different image, chatting about all sorts of things: White sausages (neither of them like it), the grass in Frankfurt's stadium (Führich doesn't like it, Undav is indifferent), and their reserve roles (they both find it acceptable). "It's a different feel now because we've played every game for VfB for a year," says Undav, "but through the conversation with the national coach, everyone has received and accepted their role and accommodated to the team."
And, as if he already had an advance copy from the Basketball national coach's book, he continues. "At such a tournament, it's not just important to be the first eleven players, but also for the team to function," says Undav. Because: "If you have three, four people who are sour and disappointed that they're not playing, a team can easily fall apart. That's why I accept it. Everyone gives their all, and when the chance comes, we have to be there."
Nagelsmann appreciates that the second row is surprisingly content. "When you think about where we were a year ago and where we are now: That's something special, and for every minute we can be on the pitch, we're happy," says Führich, representing the Stuttgart revival symbolically as Rhine Robben, and with his swift dribblings, he has also made it onto the wish lists of BVB and FC Bayern. Undav, on the other hand, took the road through underclass clubs to professional football. At some point, the statistics nerds of Union St. Giloises discovered him. It led him first to Brighton, then on loan to the runner-up. What happens next is still unclear for both of them. He submitted 290 requests to remain in Cannstatt, Undav reveals.
The team's effortless interaction with journalists signifies that Nagelsmann's game strategy is fully implemented. Substitutes Niclas Füllkrug and Emre Can featured in the initial EURO match against Scotland, while Maximilian Beier made a significant impact in the warm-up game against Ukraine. Undav remarks, "We've got some fantastic reserves on the bench," and everyone is aware of the stakes. However, it's evident that victories with a 7:1 scoreline in the first two EURO games and a 2:0 win against Hungary, which marked the DFB team's first tournament game without conceding a goal since 2016, make things easier.
Yet, is excessive unity detrimental to success? When everyone gets along without pushing each other? Undav soothes, "The competitive spirit is still there, but only during practice." That's when everyone strives to perform and demonstrate their abilities. "That's how you reach this level." Führich concurs, "Our main concern is to be prepared when we're called upon." When the need arises for them to step in. "That's why things are going so well now, because we work as a cohesive unit from the starting eleven to the last man, and we stay focused." If everything continues smoothly, the DFB team will advance to the quarterfinals in Stuttgart. Only then will they be substituted.
