Illkay Gündogan had to face a lot of criticism after the European Championship event in Germany in France plug. In the game against Netherlands Then, its yield curve increased significantly. That's why national coach Julian Nagelsmann later protected him.
“I was more stable,” said the national coach. The national coach was particularly pleased with the 33-year-old's improved performance between the two test matches. After the match in France, Nagelsmann said that Gündogan had been very critical of himself.
“I lost too many balls,” the captain told the coach. Already then the coach supported him: “Everything is fine, he was also tight in the central position.” He liked how the midfielder handled the situation.
Early substitution as a sign? That's what Nagelsmann says about it.
When he was substituted in Frankfurt, Gündogan immediately handed over the captain's armband to his teammate Toni Kroos. The media and fans had previously expressed suspicion that the captain's role could be reassigned ahead of the European Championship. Therefore, it was seen as a clear sign that he was the first to replace the Barcelona star.
Nagelsmann commented immediately afterwards. Apparently the change was nothing more than a protective measure. “At Barcelona he plays 90 minutes each game because they have a lot of injuries,” said the national coach.
Is the high level of stress also the reason for your not-so-outstanding performance? “It wasn't as cool as the sun, he can feel that too. We want him to be in top shape,” Nagelsmann stated.
The center position is still the subject of heated debate within the national team. After the suspension, he will probably return to the Leroy Sané squad, who could also form a good trio with Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.
Chris Führich also showed good progress. However, the two test matches showed that things can work just as well under captain Gündogan.
By Justin Engel