Published On 5/7/2026
German national football legend Lothar Matthäus criticized former team coach Julian Nagelsmann, highlighting the mistakes he made during his career with the “Machines” national team.
In an article published in Bild newspaper yesterday, Saturday, the 1990 World Cup champion said that the entire project was a “miserable failure,” noting that the team “lacked leadership on the field, quality of performance, solid defense, and teamwork. There was nothing but chaos.”
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
Matthews added that Nagelsmann “made many mistakes” in choosing the team roster for the World Cup, and the technical plans, “and even in selecting the players for this tournament. He did not have an alternative plan, but rather stubbornly stuck to his approach.”
Doesn’t accept tips
“It appears that he ignored well-meaning advice from outside the team – which is understandable and acceptable – but unfortunately he also ignored advice from within the team, and his support staff was made up of obedient people who did not oppose him at all,” Matthews explained.
Matthews believes that there is a particular problem with Nagelsmann’s communication style, as he said: “Does he prefer messages via WhatsApp over direct conversations? This is unbelievable for a leader.”
Nagelsmann resigned after being eliminated from the World Cup with a surprise defeat on penalties against Paraguay in the round of 32 of the World Cup, and Jurgen Klopp, the former coach of Borussia Dortmund in Germany and Liverpool in England, is expected to take over the job.
Matthaus revealed: “With Klopp as coach of the national team, new winds will blow in German football.”
Matthaus also stressed that Nagelsmann is not the only one to blame for the disaster of the early exit from the World Cup, as he wrote: “Officials in the German Football Association also committed some mistakes.”
He continued: “They stood idly watching for a long time, always convinced that Nagelsmann is a good coach, and he really is from a purely technical standpoint, hoping that things will go well.”
Matthews concluded his criticism by saying: “But the problems have been clear for a long time. However, his contract was extended until 2028 without any good reason.”
