Pure disappointment: DFB-Elf fails in the National League final!

Pure disappointment: DFB-Elf fails in the National League final!

München, Deutschland - The disappointment about the German national team is big after the final Four of the Nations League. With two home defeats, including a clear 0: 2 bankruptcy against France, the DFB team ended the tournament in a disappointing fourth place. These results not only frustrated fans, but also triggered intensive discussions about the future of German football. Ewald Lienen, a former Bundesliga coach, gave his criticism free in the podcast "The Sechzehner". He described the hopes for a World Cup title in 2026 as unrealistic and criticized the team sharply by particularly having to criticize the defensive performance and highlighted Leroy Sané as the only player who could keep up at the highest level. Lienen added that Robin Gosens also made a weak figure on the defensive, which made the residues clear.

The framework conditions for the DFB team were very promising, as the games took place in Munich and Stuttgart. National coach Julian Nagelsmann had already announced the squad for the tournament in advance. Some prominent players were missing like Kai Havertz, who was not taken into account after his comeback near Arsenal, or Antonio Rüdiger, who is recovering from a knee surgery. The young Nick Woltemade, on the other hand, celebrated his premiere in the squad and will move on to the U21 European Championship after the tournament.

The squad composition and first games

With the prospect that Germany met Portugal in the Allianz Arena on June 4, Nagelsmann also focused on preparing for the World Cup next year. The national coach expressed the desire for a gentle handling of the media, especially after the defeat against France, to take the pressure from the players. But what does the squad look like?

In the semifinals, Germany faced Portugal, a game that fueled high expectations. A victory would have led the team to the final, where they would have met the winner from the duel between Spain and France. Instead, however, the tournament ended in a disaster, consolidated a well -known criticism: the German national team often seemed to act naive at crucial moments, according to the analysis from different directions. The pressure on Nagelsmann and his team is growing.

On the edge of the games, the mood among the fans was also noticeable. In Stuttgart, some spectators sang "1893, Hey, Hey", which reminded of the tradition of the local football club, which offered the audience a piece of identity and took the pressure from the national team.

The coming months now have to show whether the German national soccer team can learn from this bitter setback. A rethinking is urgently needed because the competition does not sleep and the 2026 World Cup is already throwing its shadows.