Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann takes over Germany…now what?

As announced earlier, former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann was named as the head coach of the German national team…for the next 10 months.

That short-term deal will include, of course, the EURO 2024 competition, which will be held in Germany. That tournament is at the forefront of nearly everyone’s focus and Nagelsmann is aiming to put together a contender.

For his part, Nagelsmann is not scared of the challenge.

“I’m not afraid of it because I have trust in the team and coaching staff. As the person Julian Nagelsmann, I don’t just define myself by my job. I’m not afraid of the fact that there are phases in which things don’t go well. You have to endure certain things,” Nagelsmann said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Simplicity is a good keyword. We have an idea that we want to convey, but it doesn’t have to be so complicated that it can’t be implemented. We also have to be able to react to certain things before the Euros. We won’t have 14 different systems, but we have to be able to react.”

Nagelsmann will not go into this assignment blind, either. The coach will lean on DFB sporting director Rudi Völler to play a key role with the team.

“I see Rudi (Völler) as part of the coaching staff. The exchange is very important to me. I want to take his experience with me. It’s very fruitful for us. I know Sandro (Wagner) from my time at Hoffenheim, he’s a very intelligent man. He was up for the task straight away and will already be in the stadium this weekend. I have been working with Benji (Glück) for a very long time and it is very valuable to have a close confidant,” Nagelsmann remarked.

As for who will be in between the sticks for Germany, Nagelsmann did not show his hand in the looming battle between Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen.

“The most important thing is that we give Manu time to show top performances again. If that’s the case, we’ll assess it. Then we’ll be very lucky to have, not just the two of them (Neuer and Ter Stegen), but also a few more world-class goalkeepers,” Nagelsmann said.

Things will be moving quickly for Germany now, as the sprint to the EUROs begins.