Maximilian Mittelstädt (M.) not only cemented his place in the European Championship squad with his Sunday shot in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
Photo: imago/Bernd Feil
The fact that the “third half” of Eintracht Frankfurt home games often lasts longer than the two halves of a football game is not uncommon in the huge business area under Frankfurt’s main stand. But this time it wasn’t Eintracht’s VIP guests who showed their enthusiasm until well after midnight. Many German national players and their families didn’t want to leave after the successful acid test against the Netherlands (2-1). This lively international match evening also sparked something among the main actors. Looking forward to the European Championships in our own country this summer.
The online petition is apt to ask that Peter Schilling’s 1980s hit “Völlig detached” be played as the goal anthem, which was promptly done when the opening goal was scored. Completely detached, the mood surrounding the DFB selection is perfect. Julian Nagelsmann must also have kept up with the rhythm: the national coach felt a feeling of happiness that he had never experienced before in this job. “The ten days were a lot of fun,” admitted the 36-year-old. And suddenly there was “a good feeling.”
After the exclamation mark in France (2-0), his team added another. The sadness gives way to title dreams. Whistles turn into applause. Joy of playing and combination security, morale and will are revived. Nagelsmann was pleased with how the home team in their pink and purple jerseys turned things around in the final phase thanks to the substitutions. First Pascal Groß and Thomas Müller brought more order and movement to the increasingly confused German build-up, then Niclas Füllkrug heaved the ball with his shoulder just behind the goal line. The pre-Easter present for fans and the association was ready.
»We made the stadium really hot at the end. “We really wanted to win and took more risks than our opponents,” said a delighted Nagelsmann. “The spirit felt completely different than it did in November.” Back then, his team had two crash landings against Turkey (2:3) and in Austria (0:2). Now the national coach has hired himself out as an escape artist. It seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago that the German footballers would set a playful and combative tone against runner-up world champions France and sixth-placed Netherlands in the world rankings. Long-time favorite Müller also sensed the change in the stands: “People want football, but successful ones.”
Not far from the headquarters of the German Football Association (DFB), confidence grew on Tuesday evening that the figurehead will no longer embarrass himself like he did at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar or 2018 in Russia. And that Germany will even get further than just the round of 16 at the home European Championship, as was the case three years ago when England ended the era of then national coach Joachim Löw.
Suddenly the 2024 European Championship could start today rather than tomorrow. However, optimism and harmony must now be maintained for two months until the team prepares for the tournament in Weimar at the end of May, then tests against Ukraine in Nuremberg (June 3rd) and against Greece in Mönchengladbach (June 7th), before things are getting serious with the European Championship opening game against Scotland in Munich (June 14th). The foundation seems to have been laid, because the European Championship squad is now basically in place.
“Anyone who wasn’t there has to give it their all – and be better than those who are,” explained Nagelsmann. »We will definitely not trade ten or five players, that is beyond question. Maybe one or two if no one gets injured.” Leroy Sane, who is now suspended for one game, will probably still be in the squad, but Mats Hummels, Niklas Süle, Julian Brandt or Leon Goretzka probably won’t be. Even if they shine in the classic between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, that could come too late.
Because Nagelsmann’s radical cure has really worked. The weak points have been eliminated and new stimuli have been set. The completely renovated line-up with clear role assignments works because at least some of them no longer carry the baggage of failure with them. The returning driver Toni Kroos explained it like this: “A few months ago we would probably have collapsed after the 0-1 loss – but that didn’t happen.”
Because there are stand-up men like Maximilian Mittelstädt. When the newcomer made a mistake with a back pass, so that Dutchman Joey Veermann scored to give the guests the lead after four minutes, the left-back ironed out his mishap himself to make it 1-1. “If he continues like this, he will be a player for the European Championships,” praised Nagelsmann immediately. Who would have thought that Mittelstädt, who was relegated with Hertha BSC last year, would lead the national team out of mediocrity in March 2024?
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