Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann says that it is the team’s job to keep the fans dreaming of success at Euro 2024.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has said that it is the national team’s job to keep the fans dreaming of success at this summer’s European Championship.
DFB-Team became the first side at Euro 2024 to book their spot in the last-16 stage of the competition on Wednesday courtesy of a 2-0 success over Hungary in their second match in Group A.
Jamal Musiala made the breakthrough, netting for the second time at the tournament, before Ilkay Gundogan registered in the second period.
Germany are now certain of a spot in the last-16 stage of Euro 2024 ahead of their final group fixture against Switzerland on June 23.
Nagelsmann has lavished praise on the home nation’s fans for the support that they have given the team in the early stages of the tournament.
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Germany are through to the knockout round
“It was very loud in the stadium – that just gives you a good feeling,” ESPN quotes Nagelsmann as saying.
“That helps us, which is hard to believe because we have such incredibly experienced and successful players but it does something with you. It moves you. It’s our task to let the fans keep dreaming.”
Nagelsmann also reacted to Musiala’s performance, with the 21-year-old proving to be one of the standout players at the competition thus far.
“He should just play like he’s on a small pitch anywhere in Germany or England, it doesn’t matter,” the Germany head coach said. “He should just play football with his friends. He shouldn’t think about the pressure, he’s just brilliant playing football.”
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Musiala again stars for Germany
Meanwhile, Gundogan added: “We are getting better, but as we improve we have to overcome some problems. That is what this game showed today, especially in the first half, but that’s the tournament – you have survive such situations. We survived and then hit back.
“I wanted to remain patient, to complete my tasks without taking myself too seriously. The more often you train together, the better the feeling for your team mates as well – the feeling gets better with the lads around me.”
Germany have won the European Championship on three previous occasions, triumphing in 1972, 1980 and 1996.
The national side reached the semi-finals of the competition in both 2012 and 2016 after being runners-up at Euro 2008, meanwhile, but they were knocked out in the last-16 stage of Euro 2020, which proved to be their poorest performance at the tournament since 2004.
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