Nagelsmann still has "one or two question marks"
The German national team is preparing for the EURO 2024 quarterfinal against Spain. The lineup is not yet decided by coach Julian Nagelsmann. Some important decisions have been made but not revealed.
Julian Nagelsmann has not yet definitively decided on his starting eleven for the clash against Spain. "There are still one or two question marks," said the national coach before the EURO 2024 quarterfinal (Friday, 6 pm/ARD, MagentaTV and in the ntv.de live ticker) in Stuttgart. The coaching team "still needs to discuss and weigh things."
The question of whether Leroy Sané or Florian Wirtz will start can be answered by Nagelsmann but he doesn't want to. "If you can decide between Flo and Leroy, then that's fundamentally a good thing," said Nagelsmann. He is convinced by both players.
Wirtz played in the first eleven in all three group games, but Sané started in the round of 16 against Denmark. In defense, Jonathan Tah could return to the starting lineup after his yellow card suspension against Denmark, alongside defense captain Antonio Rüdiger. It's unclear if Maximilian Mittelstaedt from Stuttgart will start again on the left defensive side instead of David Raum.
Andrich's hairdo "you have to evaluate"
The 36-year-old is expecting "an even match." He feels well prepared. It's the task of his team "to have the ball." Nagelsmann didn't want to comment on the tactics. "I want to speak less and show more of what we intend," said the national coach. He expects "a tough game." Both teams want to "win the title" in the end. A pre-determined final is not an option: "It's a quarterfinal."
Robert Andrich's new, colorful hairdo caused a stir at the final training session. The defender from Bayer Leverkusen trained with pink-colored hair. When asked about it, the national coach replied: "That the main topic of conversation in a sports newsroom surprises me, that's more of a topic for the Bunte. In the end, there are hairstyles that demand a little more for a top performance than others. Whether Robert is among them, you have to evaluate."
Julian Nagelsmann acknowledges the challenge of deciding between Leroy Sane and Florian Wirtz for the EURO 2024 quarterfinal, praising both players. The German national team coach expects a difficult game against Spain, aiming to "show more" rather than just talking tactics. Meanwhile, defender Robert Andrich's colorful hairstyle, resulting in pink-colored hair, has caused a stir during the final training session, with Nagelsmann suggesting that its impact on top performance should be evaluated.
