Leverkusen (dpa) – Sporting director Rudi Föller believes that the first squad of new national coach Julian Nagelsmann with the returning Mats Hummels and three newcomers is “good.”
Meanwhile, before meeting the DFB team at a Frankfurt airport hotel in the evening, Fuller once again defended the upcoming trip to the USA with two international matches against the US national team in Hartford and against Mexico in Philadelphia as best he could. “We have to do our best,” Fuller told Bild TV.
Criticism of the trip to the United States was dismissed
The trip to North America before the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, was only possible at the current date. “We will not do that in March when things get back to business in the Bundesliga and Europe,” Föller said in response to clear criticism of the test match trip from Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.
The players will be able to deal with that, and Nagelsmann will also be considerate “to a certain extent.” Borussia Dortmund’s national team players have to play again in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen just one day after their scheduled return from America. Fuller said his appointment to the German Football League “upset” him: “It was definitely the wrong decision.”
Hummels and Müller are good for the team
On the other hand, the return of the 34-year-old Hummels from the DFB is correct. “If a player performs well, he deserves to be called back,” the former team boss said. It is the national coach’s “duty” to reward performance and form. Like 34-year-old Bayern veteran Thomas Muller, Hummels can give the team a lot with his experience and leadership and take other players with him, Fuller said.
The sporting director took over as interim coach in September after parting ways with Hansi Flick in the 2-1 win over runners-up France. “The situation in the test match is now the building block for the trip to the USA and the further path towards the 2024 European Championship. “Everyone was torn. It was like a knockout match (in the tournament). This will also be required. In the upcoming matches, “to go into the European Championship feeling good.”
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