Before the game against Hungary, which is meaningless in terms of sport, Julian Nagelsmann wants to keep the tension high. The national coach announces a rotation. Nagelsmann also speaks at length about Hungarian Adam Szalai, who collapsed on Saturday.
The sky was shining blue, but it was cold in Budapest when the German Football Association (DFB) entourage landed on Monday afternoon. Winter, as suggested by more than just the two degrees, is approaching. And yet, the travel group, including the German national players, coaches and supervisors, were in a good mood, having had a weekend that had largely created a happy atmosphere. Whether it was the 7-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Freiburg on Saturday or the next day during a visit to Europa-Park Rust.
As exhilarating as the game and the rollercoaster rides were, the weekend also showed how close joy and suffering are. The news of Adam Szalai, who collapsed on the sidelines in the opening phase of the parallel game of the Nations League in Amsterdam between the Netherlands and Hungary (4-0) on Saturday evening, triggered a lot of sympathy in the German camp. Above all with national coach Julian Nagelsmann and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who know the 36-year-old former Bundesliga professional from Hungary from their time together at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Szalai, now a supervisor for the Hungarian national team, played for TSG from 2014 to 2019. Nagelsmann was also there from 2016 to 2019, Baumann has been under contract there since 2014.
It was obvious that football became a minor matter for a moment when the national coach sat down in the media room of Budapest’s Puskas Arena on Monday afternoon to talk about the upcoming final group game in the Nations League on Tuesday against Hungary (8.45 p.m./ ZDF). With a view to the constellation in the group – Germany has secured first place – Nagelsmann said: “We draw our motivation from the fact that we want to develop,” emphasized the 37-year-old. The goal that Nagelsmann consciously mentioned remains the 2026 World Cup. “We don’t have many games until then. We don’t have a lot of time tolerance.” They want to consistently continue on the path they took in 2024. When the question arose as to whether he had been in contact with Adam Szalai, as announced, Nagelsmann said: “I had brief contact with Adam, but only written contact. He certainly had a lot of messages. But he replied that he was on the mend. The fact that he answered normally is a good sign.”
Immediately after the 7-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nagelsmann reported that he had a “good relationship” with Szalai and expressed his wish that his former player would get back on his feet quickly. “The greatest asset we have is health,” Oliver Baumann commented on the news.
Szalai weilt bei der Familie
Adam Szalai himself spoke out on social networks on Sunday night – and not only brought relief to his family. “Thanks for all the messages, I’m fine,” was the message on his Instagram channel. It had a red heart on it.
Initial reports in the Hungarian media that Szalai had to be resuscitated were not confirmed. After his collapse, the game was interrupted for almost twelve minutes. “I wouldn’t wish what we felt there on anyone,” said former Leipzig professional Dominik Szoboszlai, who now plays for Liverpool FC. He had previously burst into tears on the pitch.
“We talked about whether we could continue. Everyone said: Let’s carry on for him!” The Hungarian association announced during the first half that Szalai was in a stable condition and had been taken to a hospital in Amsterdam. On Sunday he flew back to Budapest with the Hungarian national team.
Szalai, who played 276 Bundesliga games for Mainz, Hoffenheim, Schalke and Hannover, played for Hungary until two years ago, most recently as captain. In October – at the Nations League first leg between Germany and Hungary – he started as assistant coach of the Hungarian national team. Szalai, the Hungarian association announced on Monday, is currently with his family.
As far as the game on Tuesday is concerned, everything in German Group 3 of League A is already clear before the last matchday. The DFB team is first and, like the permanent runners-up from the Netherlands, will take part in the first knockout round in March. However, another meeting with Oranje is out of the question. The German opponent will be a runner-up from a different group. The draw will take place on Friday. Hungary is already third in the table before the game against Nagelsmann’s team and will play against a runner-up team from the B league in March to stay in the league. Bosnia-Herzegovina is relegated.
Nübel plays for Baumann
“As of today there will be a lot of changes,” said Nagelsmann on Monday afternoon. The final decision will be made on Tuesday. “It could be that we change nine times, ten times or maybe four times,” said Nagelsmann, depending on who is fit.
What is certain is that Alexander Nübel will be in the starting line-up for Oliver Baumann. The national coach had announced that he would give both of the injured Marc-André ter Stegen’s deputies a chance to play in the position for the last time. Baumann had confidently thwarted the opponent’s only chance in the 7-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Since Jonathan Tah saw his second yellow card and is suspended in Hungary, Nico Schlotterbeck is likely to take his position in the defensive line; the BVB defender, in turn, served a yellow card suspension against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Nagelsmann announced at the beginning of the international training course that he wanted to take the pressures of the professionals into account in his planning. “I said that we are trying to take the clubs into consideration, within a healthy framework,” he said, knowing that the team that is playing would always be above everything, that is us at the moment. But I’m not naïve or narrow-minded and I know that there are still important games until Christmas. We have the same interest in the players staying healthy.”
How much all of the nominated players are currently enjoying being with the national team is shown by the fact that the suspended Tah came to Budapest with them – and no one traveled to their club early due to the stress and skipped the Budapest trip.
WELT editor Lars Garden Racket has been traveling with the national soccer team since the beginning of this week. He has been reporting on the selection and other football topics since 2004.
