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Following his side's FIFA World Cup exit in the round of 32 at the hands of Paraguay, some serious allegations and criticism have emerged against Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Germany's post-2014 FIFA World Cup win woes continued as, after two back-to-back group stage exits, the four-time champions crashed out to Paraguay on penalties by 3-4, with a controversial goal disallowed by VAR also a massive talking point emerging out of the match. As per a Bild report quoted by Goal.com, the atmosphere within the German camp was way more tense and less united than it appeared to the fans, as Nagelsmann's behaviour before and during the tournament baffled some of the players and in some cases, officials as well. His decisions have been reported to cause confusion. One of the prime examples of this was the way he handled VFB Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav, who was one of the team's standout performers with three goals and two assists. Before the third game against Ecuador, the final league stage, which carried very little significance given Germany had already made it to the round of 32, the coaching staff discussed whether the 29-year-old should be rewarded with a position amongst the starters. DFB sporting director Rudi Voller was also roped in as an advisor, but the head coach once again decided to start off without Undav in the playing eleven. The camp itself was another issue, with players finding the facilities in Winston-Salem "mind-numbingly boring" because it was extremely remote and had limited options for leisure, with the preparation week in Chicago offering more to players. Many were said to have wanted similar accommodation during the entire tournament too. Major problems regarding his communication with the squad had been reported way before the tournament exit, having been said to have gone a long time very time without informing the team of their personnel decisions, and his handling of a top performer like Undav unsettled the team. Oliver Baumann was another victim of this "zigzag course" as described in the report. Having been for long told he was the first-choice goalie for the tournament by the head coach, the goalie learnt only after the final Bundesliga matchday in mid-May that a 40-year-old Manuel Neuer, who took back his international retirement for the competition, would take his place as a first-choice goalie, even though the work for his comeback was going on behind the scenes since March. During the tournament, there were barely any instances of one-on-one talks between the coach with his players, with Nagelsmann choosing to spend his free time with coaching colleagues or his wife, Lena. Some players viewed the couple cycling together to the training as "inappropriate". (ANI)
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