Germany coach urges Barca and Flick for clarity over Ter Stegen
Germany's goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen reacts after France's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and France at Stuttgart Arena. Marijan Murat/dpa
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has called on Barcelona and their coach Hansi Flick to clarify the situation of his goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen amid reports he may be sold by the Spanish champions.
Ter Stegen has been at Barca since 2014 and has a contract until 2028. Spanish reports have suggested that Barca plan a change between the posts which could be bad news for the 33-year-old.
Advertisement
Ter Stegen was sidelined for most of the past season with a severe knee injury.
He is now back for club and country, returning for Germany at the Nations League finals where they lost the semi-final 2-1 against Portugal and the match for third place 2-0 on Sunday against France, where Ter Stegen made several big saves.
Nagelsmann suggested post-match that Flick, who was his predecessor as Germany coach, should help clear up the situation.
"Because of the past of some of the protagonists and their connection to the national team and also to him, I'd kind of like him to get some information about what happens next," Nagelsmann said.
Advertisement
Nagelsmann he didn't know how much was true in the reports but that he has talked with Ter Stegen about this "very sensitive issue."
He said it was not up to him to say what others are supposed to do but rather of "a wish I have for Marc. But he doesn't need to worry too much about his sporting future, wherever that may be.
'If you look at it completely unbiased he has a contract and is an outstanding goalkeeper. Marc has shown that to everyone. That's why he can go into the situation relatively relaxed."
But Nagelsmann also said it was also only human for Ter Stegen to be concerned "when you don't get any information on how things will continue."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lewandowski to boycott national team under current coach
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski said Sunday he would not play for his national team Poland so long as coach Michal Probierz remained in charge. The 36-year-old has played 158 times for Poland, scoring 85 goals, but earlier in the day was replaced as team captain by Piotr Zielinski. Advertisement "Taking into account the circumstances and a loss of trust in the coach, I have decided to resign from playing for the Poland national team for as long as he remains in charge," Lewandowski said on X. But the former Bayern Munich centre-forward left the door open for a return. "I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the best fans in the world," he said. Probierz has been Poland coach since 2023, and led them to the Euro 2024 finals where they failed to win a game and were eliminated in the group stage. Earlier on Sunday, the Polish Football Association announced on its website the coach's decision to replace Lewandowski as skipper. Advertisement "The coach has personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the technical staff of his decision," the federation said. Lewandowski is not part of the Polish squad in the current international window. According to Polish news agency PAP, the player asked to be excused to rest. Lewandoswki has just won a domestic Spanish treble with his club Barcelona. Poland beat Moldova 2-0 on June 6 in a friendly and faces Finland on Tuesday in Helsinki in Group G of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. With two wins from as many matches, Poland top the group. sw/hpa/bm/dmc/pb
Forbes
29 minutes ago
- Forbes
Portugal Beat Spain In Munich To Win 2nd Uefa Nations LeagueTitle
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal. (Photo by Halil ... More Sagirkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images) After 120 minutes, penalties were needed to decide the winner of the 2025 UEFA Nations League final between Portugal and Spain in front of 65,852 fans at Munich's Allianz Arena. Martin Zubimendi (21') and Mikel Oyarzabal (45') had scored for Spain and Nuno Mendes (26') and Cristiano Ronaldo (61') were the scorers for Portugal in what was a tightly contested affair. Twice, Spain had taken the lead just for Portugal to draw even. Although on balance, the 90 minutes belonged to a more dynamic Spain side, Portugal were better in extra time, where they pressed their neighbours and should have won the game. At that stage, Ronaldo was no longer on the pitch. The 40-year-old, who scored his 139th goal in his 220th game for Portugal, left the pitch in the 88th minute. Although he did score, Portugal was more dynamic and dangerous without Ronaldo in the 30 minutes of extra time. Still, it was a game on a knife's edge. Spain appeared to have the better chances and finished the game with a better xG of 2.06 to Portugal's 1.02. But based on the eye test, Portugal seemed to have more in the extra time. But even then, both sides ultimately lacked a clinical striker, and with the score still scoreless in extra time, the game headed to penalties. Until the fourth round of penalties, both teams were perfect. Gonçalo Ramos, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, and Nuno Mendes scored for Portugal, and Mikel Merino, Alex Baena, and Isco scored for Spain. Then Álvaro Morata stepped up and Diogo Costa stopped his shot. With the game on the line, Ruben Neves stepped up to win it for Portugal. "Our fighting spirit and togetherness were decisive today,' Portugal star Bruno Fernandes said. 'We knew it would be a tough game, Spain is one of the best national teams in the world. They play brilliant football and have amazing footballers, but we also know that we have a good team.' It is Portugal's second title in the UEFA Nations League. The Seleção won the title in 2019, beating the Netherlands in Porto in the first-ever edition of the tournament. Portugal, therefore, becomes the first country to win the tournament twice. Cristiano Ronaldo with the UEFA Nations League trophy. (Photo by Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu via Getty ... More Images) Where does this tournament rank, then? The four games in Munich and Stuttgart were certainly a spectacle. Whether it was the 1-2 between Germany and Portugal in the first semifinal, the 5-4 between Spain and France in the second final or the two final games, the level was very high between Europe's top nations. Furthermore, there was certainly a sense that the players took this tournament more seriously than the usual end-of-season national team friendlies that were traditionally scheduled around the same time. Still, there is also a flipside; the tournament is now wedged in between a long club season and the new FIFA Club World Cup. Indeed, many of the players involved either in the Nations League finals or the 2026 World Cup qualifiers will now head straight back to their respective clubs to start preparations for the 32-team Club World Cup in the United States. Those games will kick off on June 12 and last a month. The show must go on. Indeed, despite the increased number of games, the stadiums remain full. The Allianz Arena in Munich was sold out for the Germany vs. Portugal match. Then, even without Die Nationalmannschaft, over 65,000 packed into the Arena in Fröttmaning to watch stars like Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal. Speaking of the stars, although Ronaldo scored, he and Yamal were overshadowed by other players. For Portugal, goalscorer Mendes was fantastic. Meanwhile, Spanish winger Nico Williams was in excellent form. The same Williams who has been linked as a potential alternative to Florian Wirtz to Bayern Munich. It is hard to overlook the impact Williams would have in combination with Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise. The latter scored against Germany earlier today. That's perhaps another takeaway from the tournament. There are many fast and exciting talents in European football. For top clubs like Bayern, the Nations League will certainly have provided a great platform to scout them in their own stadiums. For the fans in Munich and Stuttgart, it was the cherry on top of a great season. The curtain has now fallen on the season in Europe, just as it is about to kick off again in the US with the Club World Cup, because the show must go on.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Portugal sink Spain in penalty shootout to win Nations League crown
When the moment came, Cristiano Ronaldo hid his face and leant on his international teammates. Over on the touchline at the Allianz Arena he couldn't watch but he heard the roar as Rúben Neves scored the penalty that took Portugal to the title and then the tears came. It had taken a shoot out but Portugal have their second Nations League, defeating Spain in Munich. He had scored the goal that helped them get that far, been forced to make made way with minutes remaining, listened to the tension as Álvaro Morata missed and Unai Simón could not save the last kick, then off he went to collect the trophy, his 34th at 40 years of age. It had been a long night, and if it was a battle of the generations, between him and Lamine Yamal, he had won it. In truth, though, this had been about many more men than them. About Mikel Oyarzabal and Martin Zubimendi, Nuno Mendes too. And in the end, about Diogo Costa who saved Spain's fourth penalty and Neves who scored Portugal's fifth. Advertisement Related: Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win Nations League final – as it happened It wasn't long before Lamine Yamal threatened, getting the better of Nuno Mendes, evading a reckless challenge from Bernardo Silva that was a penalty in waiting, and eventually getting taken down by Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the area. The free-kick flew over but the way they had dived in on the teenager said something of the threat he carries and the fear felt; it also turned out to be significant, drawing opponents, the ball and the play in, as if the pitch was tilted his way like a snooker table with a slope, and leaving a free wing over on the other side. Whether a plan or a happy coincidence, from the touchline Luis de la Fuente was shouting at his players to switch it and when Spain were able to, attracting their opponents in and then hitting the space it left, the advantage was clear. Not least because João Neves found himself exposed and struggling. A superb long diagonal from Dean Huijsen saw Nico Williams control brilliantly, dash into the Portuguese area and pull back for Pedri to side-foot just wide. Then a moment later, another quick switch had Williams cutting inside and whipping a shot fractionally past the far post. That was not the only place where Portugal were drawn in and when Oyarzabal tempted them back towards his own half, another lovely subtle touch from the Real Sociedad forward turned them and cut them open, leaving Martin Zubimendi running through. He found Lamine Yamal whose chipped return ball in wasn't dealt with by Rúben Dias, Neves, or goalkeeper Diogo Costa and Zubimendi put in the loose ball from close range. Advertisement Portugal responded fast and from almost nowhere, Nuno Mendes stepping past two challenges to hit a hard, clean low shot into the corner. But Spain reasserted themselves, another misjudgment from Costa seeing Williams nudge just wide and, just before half-time, Oyarzabal gave them the lead again, Pedri slipping the pass through for him to turn into the net. This was the 16th goal Oyarzabal has scored for Spain, his third in a final. His fourth if you include the 2020 Olympics. There is something about him: a subtlety, intelligence and quality of touch too often overlooked, a man lacking in ego or a lobby. And if Spain lost the 2021 Nations League final to France, and had to settle for a silver medal against Brazil in Tokyo, his was the winner against England in Berlin last summer, now it seemed he had set Spain on course for a third title in a row. But then he appeared, which he tends to do; which he has done so, so many times. It can seem that Ronaldo is not there at times – a lot of the time these days, in truth – but he always is. And when Nuno Mendes escaped Lamine Yamal and his cross took a deflection, looping up and dropping behind Marc Cucurella, there he was again, to volley in from close range. It was his 134 goal for Portugal; that thousand-goal target which he insists is no target at all genuinely may be met one day. A thousand, for goodness' sake. Off he went, pointing at his chest, kissing the ball. Spain could hardly believe it. They were not dominating as they had, not creating either, yet nor did they feel under threat. Now though the control they had slipped away, even if Williams did then send a shot whistling wide. Indeed, they could feel grateful when Nélson Semedo's cross went straight into Simón's hands. The departure of Pedri and Fabian had perhaps undermined them, their play lacking edge or acceleration; legs looked heavy and opportunities were few until, with seven minutes left, Isco took aim and Costa dived to push over. At the other end, Simon had to save Fernandes's free-kick on 90 minutes. By then, Ronaldo had just gone off and extra time brought a different flow, a different Portugal, at least to begin with. They should have had the lead immediately when Nuno Mendes, who was becoming the most threatening man out there, set up Semedo for a startling miss from five yards, and the game was tilting their way. Spain were struggling, with Nuno Mendes and the substitute Rafael Leão in particular. Although the next time Nuno Mendes raced into the area and went down it was a dive, Spain were on edge when that left wing got up and running. And yet they did get hold of the game again. Enough, at least, to worry Portugal again and, with Diogo Jota heading a wonderful opportunity over with twenty seconds left, it was time to head back to the spot, where history waited.
