Nagelsmann blasts Germany’s lack of intensity in shock loss to Slovakia

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has criticized his team for a lack of fight in their 2-0 defeat to Slovakia.

Unsurprisingly, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann was disappointed with his team’s performance in Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to Slovakia.

Speaking in a post-match interview, the 38-year-old was visibly frustrated with his players’ lack of intensity and fight on the pitch.

“The whole team didn’t deliver. The performance was very poor. The opponent was far superior to us in terms of intensity – and then their quality shows. If we can’t get that right, we might as well give up,” said Nagelsmann, adding:

“I don’t even have an explanation for this at the moment. Everyone should understand that we’re going to the World Cup and want to play a strong role there. 

“We’ve selected the best players from Germany, but maybe we need to focus less on technical quality and bring in players who show more intensity. Everyone needs to understand that! I have confidence in my players, but this won’t work with the handbrake on.”

Nagelsmann and Germany will be eager to bounce back when they face Northern Ireland on Sunday.