Boateng's provocation after DFB defeat: Is Rüdiger indispensable?

Boateng's provocation after DFB defeat: Is Rüdiger indispensable?

Spanien - After the 1-2 defeat of the German national team in the semi-finals of the Nations League against Portugal, Jerome Boateng commented on the situation on Instagram. In his post, who was aimed at DFB coach Julian Nagelsmann, Boateng opened the discussion about Antonio Rüdiger, who is criticized for his behavior in the "El Clásico". After replacing Real Madrid against Barcelona, ​​Rüdiger had thrown an object onto the field and insulted the referee, for which he received a red card. Nagelsmann then publicly warned that "the limit has been reached" and is considering consequences if Rüdiger's behavior is repeated. Boateng ironically asked the question of whether the defense works better without Rüdiger, which alludes to the weak performance of the defense against Portugal.

The defense formation with Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton and Robin Koch had difficulty assisting themselves against the switching game of the Portuguese. Rüdiger was missing in the game not only because of his controversial persona, but also because of a knee operation that made him unplayable at short notice. Boateng's ironic comments on the department "without Rüdiger" raise the question of how the defense performs without the experienced defender.

criticism of Rüdiger and Nagelsmann's reaction

Rüdiger has been exposed to violent pressure and criticism. The national coach has emphasized that such behavior in international football cannot be tolerated. In Nagelsmann's statements, the attempt is also reflected in disciplining Rüdiger and other players and at the same time giving a kind of trust. He believes that players shout, make mistakes and apologize, but also have to be brought to their limits.

The performance problems in defense are particularly worrying because they affect the whole team. With a planned course for sports psychologists in professional sports, the DFB wants to react to this. "People have to be responsive when it is burning," emphasizes the former psychologist of the national team, Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Hermann. He believes that the mental strength of the players and the support of experts in the sports psychology area should be crucial for future successes.

dr. Philipp Laux has taken on the role of Hermann and has extensive experience to promote the necessary support and changes in the team. Hermann has shaped the national team very much over the years and sees new approaches as possible inspiration for performance optimization for the players.