Nagelsmann's Germany keep shining after Euro 2024

Two months on from the transformational summer of Euro 2024, the rain and cooler temperatures of Amsterdam in September took a little of the shine off Julian Nagelsmann's Germany team.

If Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz toyed with the Hungarians on Saturday, they toiled on Tuesday night in the Netherlands.

Germany's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands was a little wild for an international game in September. The draw is the result that leaves everyone content, but in a game that saw Germany concede inside the opening 120 seconds, lead at the break and then concede shortly after the restart, this was an advert of both Germany's flaws and flow.

A new era begins

The departure of foundational players Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gündogan and Thomas Müller marks the true end of an era. Germany finally move forward without any remaining members of the 2014 World Cup win. Led by new captain Joshua Kimmich (and vice captains Antonio Rüdiger and Kai Havertz), a new hierarchy is beginning to form.

Kimmich, scorer of Germany's second, had an excellent outing. Defensively there were concerns how often individuals got turned, with Jonathan Tah enduring a tough night — he was 0/5 challenges won at the break. The stock of Rüdiger, rested for this break, soared. Thirty-three-year-old late bloomer Pascal Gross is emerging as the new conductor in the middle of the field, but might not be a player who can last the whole 90 minutes.

For the generation after the golden one, this was a reminder that they are at the beginning of their journey. The risk-reward of Nagelsmann's style of play ended up being more risky on this night. His subs didn't really work and frustration was on show. But it was nonetheless a spirited display. Deniz Undav, making his first start, scoring his first goal was certainly a highlight.

"I'm very happy with the 10 days of work. We can live with the 2-2 draw here," Nagelsmann said afterwards. "The players believe in themselves. We have attacking ideas. We don't sit back when we have conceded. We have shown during the Euros and before that we can come back."

Nagelsmann is taking the Nations League seriously, unlike some of his predecessors, recognizing it as a way to keep generating interest in the team but also as a way to continue to build confidence inside it. 

"We aren't quite there where we need to be, matching dominance with the result, but if we can be more consistent then the results will come. We must keep going from where we are," he said.

For a coach who was facing a turning point when he took this job, the future without him at the helm now seems unthinkable.

Impact beyond the field

"It's important that we continue to work the way we did during the Euros," Niclas Füllkrug, who missed the Netherlands game through injury, said recently.

"I had the feeling that every German centered their week around the Germany games. It was as if everything revolved around us — in a positive sense. Germany felt like a community again during this time. All the negative things that are usually discussed faded into the background for once. We now want to carry this feeling forward."

Füllkrug, who has drawn affection for his down-to-earth manner, is right to have such broad ambition for the team. Anyone in Germany this summer will have noticed the positive impact this diverse and dynamic Germany team had on both society and the tournament itself. In the face of a headline-making survey on race, alarming European election results and a run of terrible tournament form, Nagelsmann's side restored pride and became a powerful representation of a more united Germany.

But two months on, the stakes remain as perilous. The 2024 Thuringia state election saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the largest party with 33% of the vote, with a reported 38% of people aged 18-24 giving their vote to the party. This time next year, Germany will be closing in on a federal election with huge ramifications for the country and the rest of Europe. 

No policies were changed this summer because the football team started playing well again, but the symbol of a modern, united Germany became harder to ignore. In September, through the combination of dazzle and determination, the team added to that part, reminding the country that the energy source that awoke something in Germany during the Euros is still delivering at full power.

Edited by: Martin Kuebler