Julian Nagelsmann will take command of the Chariot Corps.
The German Football Federation (DFB) announced on its website on Wednesday (Aug. 22) that “Nagelsmann has been appointed national team coach. He will lead the team at next year’s UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. Nagelsmann has signed a contract until July 2024. He is the 12th national team coach in Germany’s history and succeeds Hanji Flick,” the official statement read.
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said: “Next year’s Euros are very important for German football as a whole. We are convinced that Nagelsmann’s team will inspire our fans and that the tournament will be one of the best ever. Mr. Nagelsmann is an outstanding coach. Now we will all focus on next summer’s Euro and support Nagelsmann.”
DFB Director Rudi Feller added: “When we started the search for a national team coach, Nagelsmann was our preferred candidate. Not only is he a professional, but he has proven himself as a coach at a very young age. He can motivate and inspire the entire team. He will play an important role at the Euros next summer in his home country,” said Nagelsmann.
“We are hosting the Euros in our country. It’s something special that happens once every few decades. I have a great desire to win. We will be a tight-knit group,” and “The goal is to do well at the Euros. It’s a big challenge for me. I want to inspire with attractive football, not just results. I have a clear idea. I’m not nervous because I have confidence in the team and the coaching staff,” he said, adding that he is ready for the Euro.
For the first time in its history, Germany has played the card of sacking a coach. “At the proposal of DFB President Neuendorf, the federation’s supervisory board has decided to dismiss national team coach Flick and coaches Markus Zorc and Danny Ruhl from their duties with immediate effect,” the DFB officially announced on Tuesday.
DFB President Neuendorf said: “We agreed that the national team needs a new impetus after disappointing results. We need confidence ahead of Euro 2024. It was the most difficult decision of my tenure. Because I value Coach Flick and the coaches. But the first priority to be addressed is success and the decision (to dismiss) was inevitable,” he said.
The baton was briefly taken up by acting head coach Rudy Feller, who said: “Coach Flick has been exhausted over the last few months. He and the coaching staff did everything they could to turn things around after being eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Unfortunately, we were not successful. The game against Japan made it clear that we cannot progress any further,” he said.
“We need to act responsibly. We need to change something at the Euros on home soil. U-20 coach Hannes Wolf and U-20 head coach Sandro Wagner will be in charge of the national team for a while. The most pressing issue is the next head coach. It will be a coach who will take us to the level we expect,” he said, explaining his future plans. With the announcement of Nagelsmann’s appointment as Flick’s successor, the coaching change was finally finalized.
Flick succeeds Joachim Loew, the longtime head coach of the German national team. Since retiring as a player, he has gained coaching experience as head coach of Hoffenheim, head coach of Germany, head coach of Bayern Munich, acting head coach, and full-time head coach. He has also had an unusual career as an administrator, serving as head coach of the German national team and Hoffenheim.
The pinnacle of his career came in the 2019-20 season. When coach Niko Kovac was sacked for poor performance, he stepped up to the plate. He pulled off a miracle that no one expected. Flick’s side won the German Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and UCL, completing a treble. It was only the second treble in club and world soccer history. The club generously supported Flick by promoting him to full-time coach, despite his midseason appointment.
Flick started the season by winning the UEFA Super Cup, German Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. But things didn’t go so well after that. After a shocking early exit from the DFB Pokal, the club failed to reach the semifinals of the UCL, losing to Paris Saint-Germain. After rumors of a falling out with the club’s hierarchy, Flick took the reins himself.
The next stop was Germany. Although he didn’t play for the national team as a player, he was an assistant coach from 2006 to 2014 and head coach from 2014 to 2017, so he knew the German national team better than anyone. According to Germany’s Bild, Flick will reportedly receive an annual salary of €6.5 million. He was expected to be the highest-paid coach of all 32 nations at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But it was a disaster. The team was drawn in a group of death with Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and suffered a “second consecutive group stage exit”. The disappointment continued after the tournament, although they were not dismissed. They were humiliated by Belgium (2-3 loss), Ukraine (3-3 draw), Poland (0-1 loss), Colombia (0-2 loss), and Japan (1-4 loss). With the exception of Belgium, all of these defeats came against nations rated below them. 메이저사이트
Eventually, the DFB said goodbye to Flick. The British public broadcaster, the BBC, reported: “Flick was sacked after the Japanese war. He is the first German coach to be sacked since 1926. Germany will host Euro 2024 next year, but the country is in turmoil,” the BBC said.
His replacement will be Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann has been recognized for his leadership in turning Leipzig into one of Germany’s emerging powerhouses. He’s only 36 years old and has been praised for his tactical skills. His next stop was Munich. Nagelsmann began his coaching career at Hoffenheim in 2016 and then took over at Munich in 2019, joining the mega club just four years after his debut.
The Bavarians tried to rebuild their fortunes with Nagelsmann, who has been called a managerial genius, but ultimately parted ways. At the end of last season, with Munich faltering in both the UCL and the Bundesliga, the club took the bold step of sacking Nagelsmann.
Nagelsmann was inundated with offers last summer. First up was Tottenham Hotspur, who had just parted ways with Antonio Conte. “Tottenham have held talks with Nagelsmann in Germany over the past few days,” said Sky Sports. However, no agreement was reached. Nagelsmann is demanding a transfer fee.”
Chelsea was next. “Chelsea have held initial talks with Nagelsmann, who has been shortlisted alongside Luis Enrique, Mauricio Pochettino and Luciano Spalletti, according to The Times. Chelsea’s joint sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart are leading the search for his successor,” but that too fell through.
The same can be said for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with the UK’s The Athletic reporting that “PSG have decided they will not appoint Nagelsmann after weeks of talks” and global outlet Goal.com explaining that “Nagelsmann’s appointment at PSG has fallen through”.
Nagelsmann rejected all the big clubs. This has led to speculation that he is preparing for a move to Real Madrid. “Nagelsmann is targeting a possible replacement at Real,” said Football España. If Ancelotti were to leave, Nagelsmann would be a prime candidate.” It is claimed that he could be heading to the Santiago Bernabeu to replace Ancelotti, who is set to take charge of the Brazilian national team.
However, Nagelsmann has a big job ahead of him in his native Germany, which is in crisis. The journey to success at Euro 2024 on home soil next summer has begun.