Nagelsmann Urges Players to Secure Time Ahead of World Cup

BERLIN, Germany — German national soccer coach Julian Nagelsmann has made it clear that players aiming for a spot on the World Cup squad must be on the field regularly. He pointed to the situation of Nick Woltemade as a prime example of this philosophy.

After a transfer saga involving a potential move to Bayern Munich, Nagelsmann emphasized that for national team success, his players need significant playing time. “If he goes to Bayern Munich and plays, that’s good for me. If he does not play, he must return and play somewhere else. I just want all my players to play, and everything else is actually irrelevant to me,” Nagelsmann stated during the announcement of his first squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Nagelsmann has had two discussions with the 23-year-old Woltemade, making his expectations clear. “I told him, ‘You can move to Bayern Munich if that is what you want. But you need to understand that with only 25 percent of playing time, qualifying for the World Cup becomes difficult,'” he reported.

Woltemade had reached an agreement with FC Bayern, but VfB Stuttgart rejected the transfer fee offered. Nagelsmann also criticized the public nature of the transfer negotiations, which he feels complicate the situation for the players involved. “No one wants to lose face, and that makes things super complicated. It’s bad for the player and the clubs,” he argued.

Reflecting on the performance of his squad, he referenced the playing time discrepancy between Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Bayern’s Aleksandar Pavlovic, who has been sidelined due to injuries. “Lamine Yamal played 100 percent last year, while one of our top talents barely managed 33 percent. That’s a key factor,” Nagelsmann said.

Woltemade is not the only player facing obstacles; key players like Marc-André ter Stegen and Jamal Musiala are also unavailable due to injuries. The German national team will begin its World Cup qualification on September 4 against Slovakia, followed by a home match against Northern Ireland on September 7.

Nagelsmann plans to use established players in the opening match but acknowledges the necessity to integrate younger talents as well. He stated, “I hope to see strong performances from all of them, including new faces who have earned their spots on the team.”