A day after Germany’s exit from the 2024 European Championship, DFB.de presents the reaction from the final press conference at the Team Base Camp in Herzogenaurach. Julian Nagelsmann, Rudi Völler and Bernd Neuendorf looked back on an eventful few weeks and set their goals for the future.
Julian Nagelsmann on…
… the team’s supporters: I would like to thank the fans all over the country. It’s been very emotional, both for the team and for the fans. I’ve always said that we need the people of the country to unite behind us. We know that the last few tournaments haven’t been good and that we haven’t given enough back to the fans. From the March internationals onwards, you could tell that my coaching staff and I had made a difference. We had a vision and a belief that we could push for a good result on home soil. We saw the pictures from the fan zones and forged a close bond between ourselves and the people of our country. We would have liked to give the fans even more, play even better football and win the title.
… his plans for the team: The fresh enthusiasm for the national team that we’ve seen throughout the country has also arisen within the team. We want to build on the foundations we’ve put down and consolidate as much as we can ahead of the 2026 World Cup. We’ve seen a lot of positive play in the tournament. There are, of course, still kinks for us to work out – that’s bound to be the case after the last few years. And we are, of course, losing a key player in Toni Kroos. We have a few things we need to work on. Basically, we’ll be looking at the Nations League to develop further. The coaching team will go over what our team needs. It makes no sense for us to make wholesale changes to the squad. We know that the group works. Robin Koch, for example, who sadly didn’t get any playing time at the tournament, was totally selfless and never got sulky. We had plenty of other players who didn’t play much but contributed to the group – we’ve got a good atmosphere.
… replacing Toni Kroos: We were all impressed by Toni and happy to be able to spend the last six weeks with him. He’s a player you can’t find a like-for-like replacement for. But in Angelo Stiller and Aleksandar Pavlovic, we have good potential options to fill that gap. With Pascal Groß, we also have a player with a similar style of play. Toni has also always said that he’s not some sort of saviour, but just part of a whole. Now we have to replace that part in a way that means we can continue to play the same way as before.
… Germany’s emotional journey: The thing I’ll miss most tomorrow is the people, because it’s always special to work together with others. Of course, whenever you’re in a group you have to make compromises to find your role in the group. I don’t tend to get nervous before games because we always prepare well, but of course the really emotional moments are bound to do something to you. The games against Switzerland and Denmark, and now Spain, were emotional thrillers. You can experience these emotional moments in all sorts of ways, but we’ve had both highs and lows throughout the tournament – from sadness, like now, to great joy like in the 89th minute.
… the impact of the tournament on society: I think we’re living in a time when everyone is more interested in showing off than spending time together. For a long time, our country was built on social clubs where people would come together and spend time with each other. We need to realise what a beautiful country we live in and that we have opportunities if we do things together. We can’t be fuelled by envy. It’s hardly ever the case that doing things alone produces better results than if you had done it with others. We have to support each other, integrate and be welcoming to all. In Germany, we have a tendency to see problems in everything, but we should also be talking about solutions. I often hear that we have a problem, and much more rarely that we have a solution. I’ve always said we have solutions – whether they’ll work or not, time will tell. Yesterday, things didn’t work out and we had to make changes at half time. We must get our community spirit back, and turn away from our unbelievable individuality. This tournament can be a blueprint for that.
… the long wait for the next tournament: Unfortunately, being the head coach of a national team means you have to wait two years for your next chance to have a crack at a big tournament. This summer’s European Championship was a unique opportunity for all of us. As I said: you only get one shot at a game like this – there are no second chances. We talked a lot yesterday about wanting to redo the last five minutes of the game. I’m looking forward to our next campaign, but I need a few days to reset now.
… the aftermath of the quarter-final: Some of the boys sat together discussing the game for a very long time last night. I always go to bed early and try to sort things out with myself. I have a lot of stuff going around in my head – things that maybe we could have done better.
… the future of Ilkay Gündogan: I haven’t had any message from him yet. He did very well in each of the games and was the last to leave the camp today as the captain. His press conferences were also very good, very smart. He’s a reserved leader who has a lot of experience and a great feel for the team dynamic. I’m happy for him to stay on, but players have to decide these things for themselves. I’m glad he’s here and, as things stand, I’m assuming he’ll continue as captain.
… the possible handball: We don’t know whether Füllkrug was offside or not – it was a similar situation to the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. I’ve had various bits of information about the possible handball, but nothing conclusive. I’d like to see referees look at more situations on the monitor – we have the time for it. If he looks at the situation and says it’s not a handball, then that’s fine. But the fact that he didn’t even do that is what hurts. The hand definitely wasn’t close to the player’s body, it just wasn’t. But we have to put it behind us – we’re not going to get a replay. Now, we have to play well in World Cup qualification, because that trophy would also be a good prize.
Rudi Völler on…
… the incredible atmosphere in the country: The team did something which we could never have imagined they would just a few months ago. They created a sense of euphoria among the fans with their performances. That felt special for an old hand like me who has been through a lot of tournaments. It was unique and captured everyone’s imagination. That was our aim and our dream. Julian and his coaching staff managed to create a team spirit that that got people on board. It was obvious to me that that required more than just a public training session. Most of all, it required good football, which is at the heart of everything. That’s the only way to create this sense of euphoria.
… their duty to their fans: You could tell that the fans were fully behind us in every game. That’s a great sign for us. We also have a duty to everyone to keep that going in September with the Nations League and in December with the draw for World Cup qualification. We have a duty to build on our performances at this tournament.
… the future of German football: We wanted to return to the peak of world football, and I think we managed that. But we’re still not quite where we want to be. We wanted to get through to play one or two more games. We put in an incredible performance yesterday to come from behind. You could never have imagined that a few months ago. We have a good core mixture of youth and experience. We want to keep going in this manner.
… the characters in the team: Of course you need to have characters. Footballing quality is the most important thing for the future though. The players have to earn their place with good performances at their clubs.
Bernd Neuendorf on…
… going out of the tournament: We lost yesterday, but it’s not a failure. We will keep going on the path we’ve set. We’ll concentrate on our next targets and go again. That’s the feeling that’s been in the air this morning.
… the excitement around the country during the tournament: We can be proud of what we achieved over the past few weeks, both on and off the pitch. We showed again that we’re great hosts and we’ll keep doing so for the next few weeks. We managed to get the fans behind us through our performances on the field. We formed a connection between the team and the supporters. They identified with us and we triggered their emotions. The fans like the team, and they watched the tournament with a genuine sense of happiness. You have to say that they really were carried on a wave of emotion. The high viewing figures yesterday showed that again.
… the people helping the team off the pitch: I’d like to thank a lot of people. Firstly, the head coach and his fellow coaching staff, who did incredibly. In Julian, we’ve got a guy who’s perfect for the role of national team boss. He embodied a great spirit. I’d also like to thank the many hard-working people who’ve helped look after us at our base throughout the tournament. A big thank you also goes to adidas. Our surroundings for the last few weeks have been perfect, and that helped to create such a good atmosphere. The support from the DFL was also extremely important. Thank you also to the many others who’ve helped us at the DFB.
… the importance of the tournament for the DFB: It was an important tournament for us as an association, because I’ve heard from everyone that it’s made them feel very content. There’s a lot of respect, which is also important for the DFB. We’ve made big strides over the last two and a half years and that’s been acknowledged. This goes hand in hand with the way the tournament’s been organised. I have to mention tournament director Philipp Lahm. Everyone both here and at UEFA are very pleased about how the tournament’s gone.
[mmc/hm]
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A day after Germany’s exit from the 2024 European Championship, DFB.de presents the reaction from the final press conference at the Team Base Camp in Herzogenaurach. Julian Nagelsmann, Rudi Völler and Bernd Neuendorf looked back on an eventful few weeks and set their goals for the future.
Julian Nagelsmann on…
… the team’s supporters: I would like to thank the fans all over the country. It’s been very emotional, both for the team and for the fans. I’ve always said that we need the people of the country to unite behind us. We know that the last few tournaments haven’t been good and that we haven’t given enough back to the fans. From the March internationals onwards, you could tell that my coaching staff and I had made a difference. We had a vision and a belief that we could push for a good result on home soil. We saw the pictures from the fan zones and forged a close bond between ourselves and the people of our country. We would have liked to give the fans even more, play even better football and win the title.
… his plans for the team: The fresh enthusiasm for the national team that we’ve seen throughout the country has also arisen within the team. We want to build on the foundations we’ve put down and consolidate as much as we can ahead of the 2026 World Cup. We’ve seen a lot of positive play in the tournament. There are, of course, still kinks for us to work out – that’s bound to be the case after the last few years. And we are, of course, losing a key player in Toni Kroos. We have a few things we need to work on. Basically, we’ll be looking at the Nations League to develop further. The coaching team will go over what our team needs. It makes no sense for us to make wholesale changes to the squad. We know that the group works. Robin Koch, for example, who sadly didn’t get any playing time at the tournament, was totally selfless and never got sulky. We had plenty of other players who didn’t play much but contributed to the group – we’ve got a good atmosphere.
… replacing Toni Kroos: We were all impressed by Toni and happy to be able to spend the last six weeks with him. He’s a player you can’t find a like-for-like replacement for. But in Angelo Stiller and Aleksandar Pavlovic, we have good potential options to fill that gap. With Pascal Groß, we also have a player with a similar style of play. Toni has also always said that he’s not some sort of saviour, but just part of a whole. Now we have to replace that part in a way that means we can continue to play the same way as before.
… Germany’s emotional journey: The thing I’ll miss most tomorrow is the people, because it’s always special to work together with others. Of course, whenever you’re in a group you have to make compromises to find your role in the group. I don’t tend to get nervous before games because we always prepare well, but of course the really emotional moments are bound to do something to you. The games against Switzerland and Denmark, and now Spain, were emotional thrillers. You can experience these emotional moments in all sorts of ways, but we’ve had both highs and lows throughout the tournament – from sadness, like now, to great joy like in the 89th minute.
… the impact of the tournament on society: I think we’re living in a time when everyone is more interested in showing off than spending time together. For a long time, our country was built on social clubs where people would come together and spend time with each other. We need to realise what a beautiful country we live in and that we have opportunities if we do things together. We can’t be fuelled by envy. It’s hardly ever the case that doing things alone produces better results than if you had done it with others. We have to support each other, integrate and be welcoming to all. In Germany, we have a tendency to see problems in everything, but we should also be talking about solutions. I often hear that we have a problem, and much more rarely that we have a solution. I’ve always said we have solutions – whether they’ll work or not, time will tell. Yesterday, things didn’t work out and we had to make changes at half time. We must get our community spirit back, and turn away from our unbelievable individuality. This tournament can be a blueprint for that.
… the long wait for the next tournament: Unfortunately, being the head coach of a national team means you have to wait two years for your next chance to have a crack at a big tournament. This summer’s European Championship was a unique opportunity for all of us. As I said: you only get one shot at a game like this – there are no second chances. We talked a lot yesterday about wanting to redo the last five minutes of the game. I’m looking forward to our next campaign, but I need a few days to reset now.
… the aftermath of the quarter-final: Some of the boys sat together discussing the game for a very long time last night. I always go to bed early and try to sort things out with myself. I have a lot of stuff going around in my head – things that maybe we could have done better.
… the future of Ilkay Gündogan: I haven’t had any message from him yet. He did very well in each of the games and was the last to leave the camp today as the captain. His press conferences were also very good, very smart. He’s a reserved leader who has a lot of experience and a great feel for the team dynamic. I’m happy for him to stay on, but players have to decide these things for themselves. I’m glad he’s here and, as things stand, I’m assuming he’ll continue as captain.
… the possible handball: We don’t know whether Füllkrug was offside or not – it was a similar situation to the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. I’ve had various bits of information about the possible handball, but nothing conclusive. I’d like to see referees look at more situations on the monitor – we have the time for it. If he looks at the situation and says it’s not a handball, then that’s fine. But the fact that he didn’t even do that is what hurts. The hand definitely wasn’t close to the player’s body, it just wasn’t. But we have to put it behind us – we’re not going to get a replay. Now, we have to play well in World Cup qualification, because that trophy would also be a good prize.
Rudi Völler on…
… the incredible atmosphere in the country: The team did something which we could never have imagined they would just a few months ago. They created a sense of euphoria among the fans with their performances. That felt special for an old hand like me who has been through a lot of tournaments. It was unique and captured everyone’s imagination. That was our aim and our dream. Julian and his coaching staff managed to create a team spirit that that got people on board. It was obvious to me that that required more than just a public training session. Most of all, it required good football, which is at the heart of everything. That’s the only way to create this sense of euphoria.
… their duty to their fans: You could tell that the fans were fully behind us in every game. That’s a great sign for us. We also have a duty to everyone to keep that going in September with the Nations League and in December with the draw for World Cup qualification. We have a duty to build on our performances at this tournament.
… the future of German football: We wanted to return to the peak of world football, and I think we managed that. But we’re still not quite where we want to be. We wanted to get through to play one or two more games. We put in an incredible performance yesterday to come from behind. You could never have imagined that a few months ago. We have a good core mixture of youth and experience. We want to keep going in this manner.
… the characters in the team: Of course you need to have characters. Footballing quality is the most important thing for the future though. The players have to earn their place with good performances at their clubs.
Bernd Neuendorf on…
… going out of the tournament: We lost yesterday, but it’s not a failure. We will keep going on the path we’ve set. We’ll concentrate on our next targets and go again. That’s the feeling that’s been in the air this morning.
… the excitement around the country during the tournament: We can be proud of what we achieved over the past few weeks, both on and off the pitch. We showed again that we’re great hosts and we’ll keep doing so for the next few weeks. We managed to get the fans behind us through our performances on the field. We formed a connection between the team and the supporters. They identified with us and we triggered their emotions. The fans like the team, and they watched the tournament with a genuine sense of happiness. You have to say that they really were carried on a wave of emotion. The high viewing figures yesterday showed that again.
… the people helping the team off the pitch: I’d like to thank a lot of people. Firstly, the head coach and his fellow coaching staff, who did incredibly. In Julian, we’ve got a guy who’s perfect for the role of national team boss. He embodied a great spirit. I’d also like to thank the many hard-working people who’ve helped look after us at our base throughout the tournament. A big thank you also goes to adidas. Our surroundings for the last few weeks have been perfect, and that helped to create such a good atmosphere. The support from the DFL was also extremely important. Thank you also to the many others who’ve helped us at the DFB.
… the importance of the tournament for the DFB: It was an important tournament for us as an association, because I’ve heard from everyone that it’s made them feel very content. There’s a lot of respect, which is also important for the DFB. We’ve made big strides over the last two and a half years and that’s been acknowledged. This goes hand in hand with the way the tournament’s been organised. I have to mention tournament director Philipp Lahm. Everyone both here and at UEFA are very pleased about how the tournament’s gone.
