Julian Nagelsmann did not want to label his debutant as a scapegoat after the 0:2 embarrassment against Slovakia. Frankfurt’s Nnamdi Collins was on the field for only 45 minutes before it was over.
“Nnamdi didn’t have a great day, but I won’t hold a debutant responsible. There are players around him who have had an incredible number of games,” Nagelsmann emphasized afterward.
So Collins shouldn’t throw his DFB career away just yet. Other current and former DFB stars have shown the way: despite mistakes in their debut, one can have a stellar career in the national team. ‘Kicker’ names a few examples.
The DFB captain also debuted against Slovakia. In 2016, the German national team even lost 1:3. “I actually remember it very well. It rained a lot, the pitch was barely playable, we conceded two goals from set pieces, both times my opponent was involved,” Kimmich recalled at the press conference before the game. This time, however, the German team couldn’t blame the pitch.
The Bayern star could also encourage Collins, as he was substituted at halftime during his debut. Joachim Löw used him as a right winger in the 0:0 against Poland in 2014. However, Goretzka remained inconspicuous.
The German goalkeeper is currently out due to injury, but Julian Nagelsmann plans to include him for the 2026 World Cup if he is fit. The tournament was still far off when he debuted in 2012. Ter Stegen conceded five (!) goals against Switzerland and was particularly noted for positional errors.
If you’re mistaken for a ball boy after your DFB debut, something seems to have gone wrong. That’s what happened to Thomas Müller at the legendary press conference with Argentina’s then-national coach Diego Maradona. The former DFB star remained inconspicuous during his debut. The 0:1 defeat against Argentina was the last test before the 2010 World Cup. However, Müller truly delivered at the tournament in South Africa.
📸 FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT – 2010 AFP
But not only the four stars mentioned had a rough debut, the Dortmund player also made a mistake in his first game. In the 2022 test against Israel, the central defender conceded a penalty in injury time. Fortunately for him, Kevin Trapp saved the penalty, and the DFB team won 2:0. “You don’t have much time in international matches, that was a bit of an arrogance attack,” said ZDF expert Per Mertesacker after the game back then.
📸 JOE KLAMAR – AFP or licensors
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