Sandro Wagner’s dashing commands echoed audibly through the still empty Dortmund arena. Hannes Wolf also interacted very actively with the players, while Rudi Völler monitored the national soccer team’s training down on the pitch like a kind of supervisor.
The roles in the interim coaching team were clearly distributed during the only training session in the huge Signal Iduna Park before the big international test against France and were clearly visible to the few observers.
The national players around captain Ilkay Gündogan were confronted with new, brash coaching tones and fresh training impulses in the short phase between the sudden separation from Hansi Flick following the 4-1 defeat against Japan and the next test against runner-up world champion France . According to Völler, they hardly have to get used to this situation. Before his comeback game as DFB team boss, the 63-year-old spoke, at least for himself, of “a unique thing” and, in his role as DFB sports director, formulated clear ideas about how things should continue from Wednesday.
Task force should help with the search for trainers
“Hannes Wolf in a package with Sandro Wagner was my idea,” emphasized Völler. But even if he is completely convinced of the abilities of the new DFB youth director and former Bundesliga coach Wolf (42) as well as the self-confident ex-national player and coaching newcomer Wagner (35): At least he did not propagate this package solution with him as the front man the EM project he prefers.
“I can help out,” said Völler, who admittedly isn’t helping out for the first time at the DFB. “I still don’t like it now,” he assured us credibly: “In such an important tournament like the home European Championships, it is very important that we find the right solution, a coach who puts his heart and soul into it.” Someone like Julian Nagelsmann, for example.
Völler plays the main role in filling the national coaching position alongside DFB President Bernd Neuendorf (“We need a spirit of optimism”) and DFL Supervisory Board Chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke. The task force with football personalities such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Matthias Sammer should also be included in the coaching search again.
Völler wisely did not outline an exact profile and possible exclusion criteria (no contract, German-speaking). Völler shrewdly dismissed questions about candidates like ex-Bayern coach Nagelsmann, who was reflexively seen as the favorite, as “trick questions”. “That’s what I learned in this business, not to comment on names,” he said with a smile.
The choice of trainer has to be right
They are only now creating a shortlist or longlist of candidates at the DFB. “Of course there are names that are absolutely possible,” said sports director Völler. And “of course” “Nagelsmann, like many others, is also an absolute top trainer.” The 36-year-old could become a project coach for the home European Championships, like Jürgen Klinsmann once was for the 2006 home World Cup. Nagelsmann would be a great solution for the cash-strapped DFB. FC Bayern Munich, which still pays its coach, who was fired in March, a generous monthly salary, would hardly torpedo a DFB solution. After the mistaken belief that Flick would be able to shake off the “World Cup baggage” (Völler), the association now has to go all-in for its home tournament.
Nagelsmann is a contender. Jürgen Klopp remains the eternal dream national coach. Sammer, who suffered serious health problems years ago, somehow doesn’t like it. Louis van Gaal feels honored by his alleged candidate status. Ralf Rangnick wants to continue his work as national coach in Austria. Stefan Kuntz is still tied up in Turkey. And ex-master coach Felix Magath would of course be confident of taking on the difficult task.
Völler at least gave a timeline to complete the “main task” of finding a coach. “It’s important to present the right person in three and a half weeks. We’re working on it.” On October 9th, the national team will fly to North America for two international matches against the USA and Mexico. Völler knows that the choice of coach has to be right. “We still have nine months to create euphoria. That is absolutely possible with a new national coach. A new man can make a difference. We can still play a good European Championship.” Someone at the DFB has to help out in dire need now.
