Germany building something special, says Nagelsmann after defeat by France
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side are still trying to close the gap on the top teams in the world after their 2-0 Nations League defeat by France on Sunday but he was confident they are building something special.
Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise earned France the victory and third place in the Nations League. Nagelsmann saw improvement in his side from their 2-1 semi-final defeat by Portugal on Wednesday.
"If we perform like we did today and don't take a step back against the teams in the World Cup qualifiers, then hopefully, we'll march through and prepare well," he told reporters.
"Of course, we're still a few percentage points behind where we want to be, and behind the top teams in the world. We can't tear down the world in a year or two and make up for everything that may not have gone 100% right over several years.
"Nevertheless, I sense something in the whole group, both the players and the staff, something special. There's a special touch and a lot of potential still in waiting."
Germany, who last won the World Cup in 2014 and have been eliminated in the group stage in the past two editions, are in Group A of Europe's qualifiers for the 2026 tournament in North America.
They begin their campaign in September against Slovakia in Bratislava. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Spain focused on World Cup after Nations League defeat, says coach
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has backed Alvaro Morata as 'a real champion' after the veteran striker missed his penalty against Portugal in the Nations League final. PHOTO: EPA-EFE – Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his side were 'already thinking about the World Cup' after their Nations League final loss on penalties to Portugal on June 8 in Munich. 'From this very moment we are already thinking about the next World Cup, which is our goal. With the way we approach things, we are sure to go far in the future. Our team is always in a position to win, there is a lot of commitment, a lot of roots. We will always be close to winning,' de la Fuente said. After 21 minutes, midfielder Martin Zubimendi took advantage of some sleepy Portugal defence to put Spain in front. Just five minutes later, brilliant fullback Nuno Mendes levelled proceedings at the Allianz Arena. Striker Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain's goalscorer in the Euro 2024 final and the 2023 Nations League final, put La Roja back in front just before the break. Cristiano Ronaldo, quiet as he had been before scoring the winner against Germany in the semis, equalised with 61 minutes gone, adjusting quickly after a Mendes cross was deflected into the air, muscling past fullback Marc Cucurella and volleying the ball home. Ronaldo was subbed off before full-time with cramp. Even though Portugal had the better of extra time, the match went to penalties. Both sides converted their first three spot-kicks. Mendes buried Portugal's fourth, before striker Alvaro Morata stepped up and shot straight at goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Ruben Neves kept his nerves and converted in front of the red and green of the Portugal fans for their second Nations league title. De la Fuente, however, said the match was 'equal' and he was 'proud' of his side. 'We did a lot well but, in football, sometimes things happen and the opponent is able to beat you,' the 63-year-old said. 'Details do make the difference, and that was a game which was super balanced but, when we were coming to the end of the extra time, I thought we were doing enough to avoid going to penalties. Sadly, that's what decided the match and they, on the night, were just slightly better and more effective in the shootout.' Spain won the 2023 Nations League and the Euro in 2024. Their loss on June 8 was their first competitive international defeat since going down to Scotland in March 2023 in a Euro qualifier. La Roja's young core again impressed but the Nations League finals have again highlighted their reliance on 22-year-old midfielder Pedri. In their wild 5-4 semi-final win over France on June 5, Pedri came off the pitch with the score at 5-1 before France scored three late goals. Three days later, Spain lost shape after the Barcelona midfielder was subbed off late in the game. The coach admitted his players were tired after a long season, but praised Portugal. 'Portugal have done things very well, they have players of the highest level,' said de la Fuente, who backed Morata after his penalty miss, saying the veteran striker was 'a real champion' and 'a benchmark for us'. 'I'm sorry he missed the penalty, but many players don't want to take one. He took one and missed it, but that happens in football.' AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Premier League's first Black referee Rennie dies aged 65
Uriah Rennie, the first Black referee in the Premier League, has died aged 65, the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association said on Sunday. Jamaican-born Rennie, who grew up in Sheffield, made history in 1997 when he refereed a Premier League match between Derby County and Wimbledon. He went on to officiate over 300 matches - including 175 games in England's top flight. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former Chair and trailblazing referee, Uriah Rennie," the association said on social media. "Our thoughts are with Uriah's family and friends at this difficult time." Rennie retired in 2008 and it would be 15 years before another Black official took charge of a Premier League game, with Sam Allison officiating a match between Sheffield United and Luton Town in 2023. In April, Rennie told the BBC he was learning to walk again after being left paralysed from the waist down by a rare condition. "Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of referee Uriah Rennie. A pioneer, trailblazer and a bloody good ref," former England and Liverpool player Stan Collymore said on social media. "Rest in peace, Ref." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sloppy England give Thomas Tuchel food for thought on road to World Cup
– Thomas Tuchel will put England's flops to the test in their home friendly against Senegal on June 10 after admitting their sloppy 1-0 win over Andorra underlined how much they need to improve ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel's side were booed in their World Cup qualifier in Barcelona on June 7 after failing to impress against a team ranked 173rd in the world. Harry Kane's 50th-minute goal extended Tuchel's winning start to three games. But, after underwhelming victories over Albania and Latvia in March, the Euro 2024 runners-up were well below their best in a dismal display that left Tuchel bemoaning his players' lacklustre attitude. 'The last half-an-hour I don't like it at all because I think we lacked everything that is needed in a World Cup qualifier. There's lots to get better. At the moment everything is a learning period so we're smarter than before. We will talk about it honestly and directly and try to do it better,' Tuchel said. Senegal sit 19th in the world rankings and will pose the toughest test for the 51-year-old German since he took charge at the start of 2025. With only a small number of international breaks left before the expanded 48-team World Cup, Tuchel won't go easy on his players, even though they looked fatigued after a gruelling domestic campaign. 'I don't forget because there's not so many matches,' he said. 'It's necessary that we have a good look at it and then present in detail to the players what we don't like, and to present it in a video session what we have to do better and what are the standards and what we did good.' Kane has scored in all three matches under Tuchel, his former manager at Bayern Munich, with his latest effort extending the striker's England record tally to 72. But the England captain took little pleasure from his latest goal and echoed Tuchel's belief that the Andorra game should be used as a lesson. 'It's down to us now to go analyse it, look back and try and learn from it because condition-wise it's going to be very similar to next summer – dry pitch, warm weather, humid,' he said. 'We were just lacking quality, looked a bit fatigued both physically and mentally and, yeah, we got away with it because we're a good team and they had a couple of half-chances there where we didn't get punished. But, ultimately, it wasn't good enough.' Tuchel wants the Three Lions to play with a more dynamic approach that mirrors the swashbuckling style used by many English Premier League teams. But he knows it will be hard to implement his tactics with so few opportunities to work with the players. 'Absolutely. It's our second camp. We can do much better, all of us, and that includes me,' he said. 'It always takes two to tango, but we need to do better at breaking down deep opponents. We played now three times against a 5-4-1, but there are no excuses. 'The lack of counter-pressing and the lack of ball wins and the lack of being aggressive in duels is basic in football. If you don't show this, then it becomes more or less a game that we saw, which is not attractive, which does not have the quality that we want to show.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
