European Championship quarter-finals - Nagelsmann: Stop Yamal, but "don't knock my socks off"
Julian Nagelsmann is looking forward to Spain's wunderkind Jamine Yamal, who will face some German resistance in the EURO quarterfinals. "He doesn't have too much experience at this level yet. When things don't go as planned or when an opponent gets tougher, we'll see how he reacts.", said the German national team coach before the match for the semifinal berth on the evening (6:00 PM/ARD and MagentaTV). The German defense will pay special attention to the 16-year-old.
Nagelsmann made it clear in the international press conference of the German football team on Thursday evening in Stuttgart that there is no obligation to take Yamal out of the game. "We don't want to make it hard for the player. We want to have the ball and not be chasing after him." Who will defend against Yamal on the left against the winger, David Raum or Maximilian Mittelstadt, Nagelsmann did not reveal beforehand.
Focus less on Yamal, more on Jamal
The German national team coach described the youngest tournament player, who will be 17 years old a day before the EURO final, as an interesting player. "He is a very big talent. I believe there are not many who have played so stably throughout the year in their young years", said Nagelsmann, looking at Yamal's performances for FC Barcelona.
"He has great qualities, very good one-on-one. But he is just 16. That also brings great opportunities for our players to counteract. He won't always be defended against because he is very versatile. He goes inside and outside. Of course, his left foot is significantly stronger than his right", analyzed Nagelsmann. For him, it is more important whether Yamal can stamp the German offensive play. "My focus is less on Yamal, more on Jamal", said Nagelsmann.
Gündogan impressed by the young Barça colleague
National team captain Ilkay Gündogan knows Yamal well from the club. "Lamine is of course extremely advanced for his age. What the youngster has achieved with Barcelona at the age of 16 is impressive. When you look at yourself and see where you were at 16, it's a completely different place."
With his way of playing football and the risk he takes, Yamal is "already an extremely important player for the Spanish national team and also the next decade for FC Barcelona", assessed the 33-year-old Gündogan.
- Julian Nagelsmann also manages the FC Stuttgart team in his homeland of Baden-Württemberg.
- The German national soccer team, led by Nagelsmann, has a semifinal match against Spain at 6:00 PM, which will be broadcast on ARD and MagentaTV.
- Gündogan shares his thoughts on Yamal in an interview with Focus, highlighting his impressive performance with FC Barcelona's national team.
- The German national team is facing stiff competition from the Spanish national team, which features wunderkind Jamine Yamal in their squad for the EURO quarterfinals.
- Spanish midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, who plays for both the national team and FC Barcelona, admires Yamal's style of play and advancement for his age.
- According to the DFB, if Jamine Yamal performs well in the EURO quarterfinals, he could potentially represent Spain in the upcoming European Championships.
- Some German soccer pundits believe that Yamal's versatility and ability to change positions will make it challenging for the German national team to defend effectively against him during the EURO quarterfinals.
