Julian Nagelsmann bans Germany stars’ agents and advisors from Euro 2024 camp ahead of knockout stages, explains decision
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has reportedly banned agents and advisors of the players from interfering with the team's Euro 2024 headquarters. This comes ahead of their Round of 16 clash against Denmark on Saturday, June 29.
The Euro 2024 period also clashes with the summer transfer window and pre-season period, with clubs negotiating with potential targets for the 2024-25 season. Player agents are usually given exclusive access to the team headquarters for discussions, but Nagelsmann has set some rules to keep the German squad focused on the Euros.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the coach mentioned that there are clear rules about who is allowed to enter the German team's headquarters. He justified his decision with confidence, saying:
"There are clear rules about who is allowed to enter the home ground and who is not. The advisors are also among the persons who do not enter. All the players know that, the agents know that too. It's normal for the players to think about their future, I've emphasised that many times. Every player is old enough to know when the focus is on the game."
Nagelsmann was of the opinion that uncertainty is better than having security. He believes that players deal with the situation better when they're not aware of what will happen to them in the next season.
"It's much more difficult for a player to deal with it when he doesn't know what's going to happen in the new season than when he does. Uncertainty is more unsettling than having security. There is too much at stake in terms of transfers for everyone involved for that to be put on hold. I'm not wasting energy or tedious thoughts," the coach added.
Germany have been one of the best-performing teams in the Euro 2024 knockout stages. They topped Group A with seven points with two wins against Scotland (5-1) and Hungary (2-0) and a 1-1 draw against Switzerland. Die Mannschaft will face Denmark in the Round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann defends Kai Havertz after calls to bench him in Euro 2024
Ahead of Germany's Euro 2024 knockout game against Denmark, Julian Nagelsmann spoke to RTL about potentially benching Kai Havertz for Niclas Fullkrug. The coach defended Havertz, explaining that he's contributed to the team and is being harshly judged by the public.
"If you look at it from the outside, a demand for Fulle (Fullkrug) is understandable, even though Kai comes off much worse in the public assessment. He has a clear job in many games, which means that he doesn't have many ball actions because he should create space for others. He did that exceptionally well," he said.
Nageslmann pointed out that a striker's job is not restricted to scoring goals. He appreciated Fullkrug's good rating but indicated that the deserving one will start for Germany against Denmark in the Euro 2024 Round of 16.
"In our internal assessment, Kai is ranked much higher than he is in the public. For the striker, it's not always just about scoring a goal. If you're substituted and the opponent is already tired, you might have a little more space. Fulle has a good rating, but Kai is an important player for us. We'll see who starts [against Denmark]," Nagelsmann said.
Kai Havertz scored one goal and provided one assist in Germany's opening game against Scotland in Euro 2024. However, the Arsenal star hasn't been able to score in their last two group-stage games. His substitute Niclas Fullkrug, meanwhile, has impressed fans by finding the net twice in the group stage fixtures.
Fullkrug's first goal was against Scotland. His second goal came as an equalizer in stoppage time when Germany faced Switzerland in their final group stage fixture and were trailing 1-0.