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WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 27: Rudi Völler, Sporting Director of DFB enjoy a coffee during a press conference at Winston-Salem State University on June 27, 2026 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann announced that he was going to use his starters against Ecuador, the former Bayern Munich manager mentioned wanting to improve the team’s chemistry, even though resting players might be more beneficial as the team eyed the knockout rounds.
Nagelsmann’s decision also signalled that Germany was going after the win against Ecuador, a team fighting for its World Cup life. Of course, Germany lost 2-1 in a lackluster effort, which could have — arguably — done more harm than good when it comes to chemistry and managing wear-and-tear,
DFB director Rudi Völler attempted to justify the result in saying that the game was more important to Ecuador. That is something that Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, and Deniz Undav all spoke about, yet Julian Nagelsmann denied. So, what is the case? Völler’s full statement is below.
“I’m completely calm and relaxed, the team will give it their all on Monday. Against Ecuador, the circumstances were different. For them, that was the most important game of the past 20 or 30 years. We always want to win, but it’s perfectly normal to be a few percentage points short if you’re already through. Monday will be completely different. It’s about advancing or going home. We’ll give it our all, push ourselves to the absolute limit, play a really good game, and advance to the next round,” Völler said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
While Germany did advance out of the group stage for the first time since 2014, it was an exceptionally weak group. Taking care of that business does account for something and does represent progress — no doubt.
Now, though, the Germans are going to have to avoid any lapses and take care of business against Paraguay, which is not a powerhouse. The pathway to the Round of 16 could not be much easier. However, an eventual match against France is in play and, at that point, the Germans should get their first serious test of the tournament.
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