JULIAN NAGELSMANN TURNS 37 in late July and it would be fair to assume that the Germany manager never would have envisaged himself being here at this stage of his career.
Not because it was beyond his wildest dreams. Rather his ambitions extended beyond leading his country at a home European Championships less than a decade on from when he became the youngest Bundesliga boss in history at the age of 28.
Nagelsmann would have had a different idea of how things might pan out then.
For context, winger Leroy Sane in Germany’s current squad is the same age now.
Nagelsmann was appointed manager at TSG Hoffenheim just after the midway stage of the 2015/16 campaign. His influence was immediate.
They avoided relegation and qualified for the Champions League the following season.
He was perhaps the embodiment of Das Reboot, a wunderkind of German coaching who was breaking boundaries as well as records. And that is the only way his achievements could be framed.
At 31, he was the youngest coach in the history of the Champions League, to win a game in the competition, and to reach the knockouts.
He wore bomber jackets and suede on the touchline and seemed to have a velvet touch with tactics and in-game management.
That is why Leipzig poached him and when he led them to runners-up spot in the Bundesliga and a Champions League semi-final in 2020 – losing to Thomas Tuchel’s Paris Saint-Germain – his star only rose.
Bayern Munich paid what was reported at the time to be a world-record fee of between €20-25 million to make him their manager in 2021.
Yet, three years later he is an international boss.
That is not the expected career arc.
Nagelsmann won the Bundesliga with Bayern in his first season but was sacked during the next one.
The momentum behind his career halted, and it was only Hansi Flick’s disastrous management of Germany at the 2022 World Cup, in which they failed to get out of the group, followed by a 4-1 friendly defeat to Japan, that led to the German Football Association sending him an SOS.
As the figure head of the international team, he has also had to speak out on issues of far greater importance.
When one public broadcaster ran a survey in the build up to this Euros that asked if they would prefer to see more white players in the Germany squad, Nagelsmann and midfielder Joshua Kimmich both condemned it.
“It is racist. I feel we need to wake up. Many people in Europe had to flee.. searching for a safe country,” Nagelsmann said.
“Josh [Kimmich] responded really well, with a very clear and thought-out statement. I see this in exactly the same way. This question is insane.”
That is just one personal element that forms the backdrop to these championships.
From a professional point of view, the next month also offer Nagelsmann a platform to remind clubs of the influence he is capable of having on a team – and country – that demands success.
The managers in charge of countries with expectations of lifting the trophy in Berlin on 14 July all have contrasting profiles and experiences but one thing in common: none have done so while in charge.
Didier Deschamps, of course, captained France to glory in 2000 and has achieved tremendous success since taking the reins 12 years later. Les Blues became world champions under his watch but a Euros has so far eluded the boss who has become the Godfather of the international game.
Yet Deschamps is still only 55 and it would be fascinating to see how the former Monaco, Juventus and Marseille boss might fare were he re-introduced to the wilds of the club game.
It is where Nagelsmann, even with a contract extension to take him to the next World Cup, surely sees his future.
So, too, Gareth Southgate.
He admitted in the build up to this tournament that unless he guides England to the title it may very well be his last in charge of his country. It’s hard to see the 53-year-old do the international circuit in the same way Roberto Martinez has with Belgium and Portugal since his once burgeoning Premier League career ended after winning the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic and taking Everton into Europe.
Southgate’s success at England has been borne from an ability to make players and fans connect with their international team. It has come from an innate understanding of the psyche, of realising what needed to change to make it a place where rivals could assimilate under one cause rather than any overarching philosophy or awe-inspiring style of play.
That in itself – not to mention reaching the final of Euro 2020 and 2018 World Cup semi-final – is an achievement that makes his popularity among some of the hierarchy at Manchester United understandable.
Southgate got a grip of a toxic culture and squeezed out the self-involved sense of entitlement.
And should his decision to trust youth in Germany be vindicated, it may yet be the perfect interview for the United job if Erik ten Hag’s stay of execution at Old Trafford turns out to be short-lived.
Just like Nagelsmann could not have envisaged he would be his country’s manager at this stage of his career, nor could Southgate when he was put in charge of England’s U21s after an uninspiring spell at the helm of Middlesbrough.
He became a company man, though, rising through the ranks in a way which Spain boss Luis de la Fuente can relate.
The 63-year-old was manager of Alaves in 2011 before entering the Spanish federation. He guided Spain’s U19s and U21s to European titles and the U23s to an Olympic silver medal.
After a decade at youth level, he has the job he has no doubt craved.
Unlike Italy’s Luciano Spaletti, who answered his country’s call when Roberto Mancini was tempted away by Saudi Arabia and after he experienced the sensational euphoria of being the man who won the Serie A title for Napoli in 2022/23, this feels like the pinnacle for the Spaniard.
All of them, of course, want to be the one that triumphs but Nagelsmann, perhaps more than most, has other peaks still to scale.
Amen!
He is spot on. This years six nations has been so dull and dour. Forget the wins so far – has anyone actually enjoyed watching Ireland so far? One try scored from a pass in this years campaign so far – says it all.
2 point penalties and 1 point drop goals would be a start, making scoring tries even more valuable and dissuading teams from milking the penalty as reward is low. It may also result in more instances of teams going for high risk plays/true attempts on penalty advantage, like Henshaw v England, with a droppy not equal to the successful penalty goal if not advantage comes from playing on. Making the English and French top tier closed leagues have strong arguements. ATM winning at all costs is everything. Makes for usually dull games despite quality of players. Get rid of fear of relegation and it might open up more like the closed Super Rugby
Even better to penalise conceding deliberate penalties even more….
Yeah reducing the points for a penalty just promotes the defence to play more cynically as there is less of a punishment.
I’ve always thought that 6 points for a try and 3 for a conversion would be enough to entice more attacking play.
More liberal use of the yellow card would be good – there shouldn’t need to be a warning or much of a precedent to dish one out. Kill the ball 2m out from your own line 30 seconds in? Off you march.
I’ll e the first to admit my logic isn’t completely sound. I thought about the defending team being cynical after my OP, that’s a good point. I suppose there is an onus on attitude change. In my second point about closing off the two biggest European club leagues, unlikely as that is to happen right now, maybe it would help with the overall style of rugby played in NH. It’s interesting after Hansen made these comments last week or whatever, I watched Highlanders Tahs in Super Rugby. The endeavour to score tries is always there, regardless of kickable penalties. I don’t love SR, but it’s interesting to see the attitude difference after watching so much 6N the past month or so
The scrum still requires serious work. More often than not a penalty is given and many of us (the refs included) are none the wiser as to what really happened. Its all down to perception and thats really not ideal as is the ridiculous play time which is lost with scrum resets. At the very least the timer should be paused (similar to when injuries occur) and resumed once the ball has been cleared from the scrum. Fans get bored and feel somewhat cheated when over an eighth of the game has been held up in a confusing huddle.
Secondly i firmly believe rucking should be brought back. Take the responsibility out of the official’s hands and give it to the players. Want to deliberately loiter or slow the ball? Heres a few boot scrapes to encourage you to move on. Any over-zealous rucking (attacking of the head) obviously can’t be tolerated however players will quickly learn and adapt. Let the officials focus on ensuring the defensive team are onside.
Watch how much quicker the game will speed up from the lack of penalties and slowing down of the ball.
As a prop I enjoy the scrums but like everyone else I get frustrated when the ref keeps resetting and then gives penalties for little things.
Ways to make it better:
Make the scrumhalf feed it straight. First time he doesnt its a free, second time penalty, third time its the bin.
Dont wait for the perfect scrum. If it is some-way steady get the ball in. Its 16 big men trying to get the physical advantage, its rarely going to be perfect.
Dont penalise a prop if he is trying to keep the scrum up. If he puts his hand on the ground he is trying to stay up. Warn him you’ve seen it and give him a few seconds to rebind instead of immediately pinging him.
Have retired props watch each game with the TMO. Have them communicate with the ref at scrums, e.g. 3 green is boring; 1 red is dropping, etc.
Yeah, the use of the TMO at scrum time would be good. Perhaps they could use those location trackers the players have in their jerseys to determine what actually happened?
As a retired prop I think the scrum could be sorted by the referee bringing together both front rows first then the second rows introduced and lastly the back rows. The ref then gives the instruction to the 9 to ‘feed’ & then to the packs, ‘compete’. Where by the packs can then shove.
Trouble is these days most refs I’ve seen never played the game least of all were in a competitive scrum.
no more penalties at the scrum either or at least not for going backwards like it is now. free kick or play on. scrums shouldn’t decide the outcome of games.
To be fair, Wayne Barnes hasn’t even read the updated version of the Rule Book not to mind ripping it up!!
All the refs are struggling with the interpretation of what’s legal or not at the breakdown. As for the scrums, it’s a lucky dip with whatever ref is on duty that day!!! No consistency whatsoever!
I think Barnes actually reads it at half time and adds some new updates – how else do you explain how he manages to ref differently is each half
An English ref shouldn’t have been used IMO!! Is there an Irish ref doing England v France by any chance????!!!! It’s bad enough our TMO this weekend is English too!!! In the interest of fairness at the business end of the tournament Southern Hemisphere refs are a must!!
Reduce penalties to 2 points. Increase try to 6 points. After 4 tries scored in a game by a team every other try scored after by that team in the game, the conversion points given automatically.
At breakdown bring in 5 second challenge, if the team defending the breakdown haven’t had an attempt at getting their hands on the ball or counter rucking within 5 seconds of the ball going to ground then the ref calls no challenge and team defending players all have to get 1 metre back from ruck.
Reducing points from a penalty encourages defences to break the laws even more.
He’s asking for simplicity not complexity
What’s complex about it? Ball goes to ground, 1,2,3,4,5. No turn over, no counter ruck, so Defending team out, back 1 metre.
thats rugby league mate