Nagelsmann announces personnel changes

Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland: The preliminary round of the home European Championship is now set for the struggling German national team. Before then, however, national coach Julian Nagelsmann is planning significant changes to the DFB team. How many national team players have to tremble?

Julian Nagelsmann set off on the long journey home from Hamburg to Munich as a passenger after his stressful day at the European Championships, hoping for a little peace and quiet. However, the national team coach is likely to give his national team players sleepless nights with his announcement of changes. "I have a clear opinion on all the players," said the 36-year-old after the draw for the group stage of the 2024 European Championships, which went very well for him - for one or two of them, the dream of a home tournament in March could suddenly be a long way off.

The timetable: Before the opening match of the European Championship against Scotland on June 14 in Munich and the following matches against Hungary in Stuttgart (June 19) and Switzerland in Frankfurt (June 23), two test matches are planned. First in France and then against the Netherlands, Nagelsmann wants to make amends for the sometimes disastrous performances in November against Turkey (2:3) and in Vienna against Austria (0:2).

The national team is "not a team that comes onto the pitch and plays the opposition away," said Nagelsmann. But that is exactly what the German fans will be hoping for at the home tournament. Compared to Group B with Spain, Croatia, Italy and Albania and Group D with the Netherlands, Austria, France and a qualifier, Germany's Group A is at least composed in such a way that winning the group must be the clear German goal. "We have respect for all our opponents, but they also have respect for us," said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf. Sports director Rudi Völler said that the group was "very evenly matched. I will be careful not to say that there is an absolute top favorite." It's always best "if you come first in the group". To achieve this, Nagelsmann wants a shake-up.

The measures: "We're not going to radically leave ten players at home and invite ten new ones, but it will change something in the structure because we also have a different national team in terms of how we see ourselves and how we perform," said Nagelsmann. But it's also the case that "we have to show a few different things and for that we also need one or two other players and one or two other approaches."

With the exception of Kevin Trapp in goal as a substitute, practically no international player impressed in November. The coaching team may also rethink the 4-2-2-2 tactic that Nagelsmann has been using recently, which caused a stir with Kai Havertz as a flying left-back. "It will affect the content, but also the structure a little bit," said the national coach. He and his coaching team will make decisions "that will hopefully be better for the cause and we will play better soccer as a result".

Meanwhile, DFB president Neuendorf appealed for credit for Nagelsmann and the team. "We should give them a bit of confidence. It's important to work in an atmosphere like this. They have that from the association side too." It is now about "drawing the right conclusions", because "you can't be satisfied with the last two games", emphasized Neuendorf. But you have to "let people work in peace".

Number one: Captain Manuel Neuer will return to the squad "if he stays healthy and plays like he is now", confirmed Nagelsmann. The race for the European Championship place in goal will be a major topic around the DFB selection in March. Marc-André ter Stegen was absent from November's matches due to injury, which was perhaps bearable for him in terms of the results, but cost him precious minutes again. Neuer will return with the ambition of experiencing the home European Championship on the pitch for the entire season - starting in front of tens of thousands of Scottish fans in his home arena in Munich.