It was a quiet exit from a big stage: Less than 24 hours after the completely surprising elimination in the World Cup Round of 16 against Paraguay, national team coach Julian Nagelsmann (38) began his journey back from the USA. At the airport in Charlotte in the US state of North Carolina, he checked in according to "Bild" reports in the late afternoon (local time) to fly back to Munich on Lufthansa flight LH429. Departure: 6:40 p.m. local time.
The 38-year-old was reportedly accompanied by his closest confidants: wife Lena Wurzenberger, his mother Burgi, and assistant coach Benjamin Glück, who has been with him for years. His outfit was striking - entirely in black, plus sunglasses and, as the only splash of color, pink sneakers. Nagelsmann pushed his aluminum suitcase with a bag on top through the airport terminal himself.
Musiala and Pavlovic on the same flight
The two Bayern professionals Jamal Musiala (23) and Aleksandar Pavlovic (22) were also reportedly on board the same aircraft. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (40), however, is said to have departed only in the evening - the destination for him and his family was reportedly Washington.
Already in the hours before, the DFB quarters had gradually emptied. According to media reports, the team returned from the match venue to the team hotel "Graylin Estate" in Winston-Salem at 1:10 a.m. local time on Tuesday night, where players and staff spent their last World Cup night. Nagelsmann is expected in Munich on Wednesday morning.
Julian Nagelsmann refuses to resign
What will become of Nagelsmann as DFB coach remains unclear despite a contract through 2028. The German Football Association wants to address the personnel question only after the return home. Nagelsmann himself has already ruled out a voluntary withdrawal. "I'm not someone who says I'm resigning because we were eliminated", he said into the microphones immediately after the final whistle. "If the DFB wants me to continue, I'll continue. And if they don't want that, then they have to tell me."
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf (64) made clear in a statement from the association that a thorough review is forthcoming. He said he sat down with Nagelsmann and the sporting management including Andreas Rettig and Rudi Völler "for quite some time" the evening before. "We agree that the performance at the World Cup does not meet our standards", said Neuendorf.
