Julian Nagelsmann, the coach of the German national team, expressed his anger at the performance of his players during the 2-0 loss to Slovakia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The coach stated in remarks to the media: "Except for two or three injured players, these are the best players in terms of quality in Germany. Maybe next time we will have to call up players of lesser quality, but they will give their all on the pitch."

He added: "I trust my players, but being technically better than the opponent means nothing if the desire and enthusiasm are not shown. Why do you think a team like Wiesbaden drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich? Not because they are of better quality, but because they showed passion and desire."

The German national team will face Northern Ireland on Sunday, September 7, in the second round of the qualifiers.