At the end of a week in which talks about the German national team focused heavily on identity and a possible repeat of some other summer fairy tale, Julian Nagelsmann’s men were booed after a disappointing forty-five minutes against Greece.
“Of course, I can sense the anger of the fans,” Benjamin Henrichs said afterwards. “I think like in the second half, when we were cheered on on the pitch, it’s bigger for us and there’s a sense of community. and we’re going through tough times together, too. “
Germany won the match, with Pascal Gross scoring to seal a 2-1 victory. However, the functionality is not that of a team looking to sweep a country. It’s unconvincing, maybe even a little unsettling, seven days before the start of the tournament and leaves many questions unanswered.
Manuel Neuer saved three times, but his second mistake in the space of five days gave Greece an early lead. Robert Andrich was a little dissatisfied and Jamal Musiala admitted that he had lost control more than usual.
But all of this should probably be taken with a pinch of salt. Germany have looked smart under Nagelsmann in 2024, and a single game doesn’t replace that.
“I wouldn’t allow any discussion to arise, even if everyone tried to start one,” Nagelsmann later told RTL when asked about Neuer and a potential goalkeeper replacement.
Although complaints about Nagelsmann’s tactics will be inevitable, his leadership so far has been impressive. His style is ambitious and presented a new twist on a team that seemed obsolete.
“They [Andrich and Deniz Undav] are the kind of players that nobody counted on and yet believed in themselves,” centre-back Jonathan Tah said. Striker Gross is another one who has come a long way to the top, and this technique brings them closer.
Nagelsmann’s paintings also extend beyond the countryside. As part of their preparation for Euro 2024, the team spent time with special forces in an attempt to be more informed about the team’s communication and paints. More recently, this week, they won one from Gordon Herbert, the German basketball coach. Herbert guided Germany to sensational good fortune at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, where they won gold.
Its scale is a sign that this team is perhaps more connected to the existing zeitgeist than previous teams, such as the 2022 World Cup team that watched a video about how the gray ducks paint together. This existing iteration of the German team is tied to successes. that address the players’ organization in a way that is likely to create a sense of belonging and purpose.
“We work well together and there’s a lot more friendship than before,” Tah said. “It’s a diverse organization of characters who get along well and need to succeed. “
Considering what happened last week before the European Championship, the definition of this good luck would possibly have changed, but the general feeling is that this organization remains united. What they obviously hope is that the audience remains the same.
“It’s going to be a long tournament and we want in each and every match,” Musiala said afterward. “Sometimes we’re going to have bad stages and that’s when they [the enthusiasts] have to stay with us. We will do everything we can” and do everything we can to make enthusiasts proud. “
The friendly matches are over. The team is formed. Players will have a weekend off before heading to base camp. The next seven days will be filled with predictions, pontifications and presumptions as the country’s enthusiasm for a summer filled with so much promise grows. The fever is coming, even if the team hasn’t done much to bring it on this week. Now, after failing in the last 3 majors, Germany will have to make sure they win their first match. After that, it will most likely spread across the country and it would be unimaginable to blow the whistle at halftime.
Edited By: Matt Pearson