Julian Nagelsmann (38) isn't particularly fond of the party hit about him. Before the final preliminary round match of the German national team against Ecuador, the national coach at the press conference in New Jersey faced questions from journalists and had to comment on the Ballermann song that has been circulating about him recently.
The coach owes the fact that the song even landed on his radar to his closest staff members. "I've heard it before", Nagelsmann said. "Involuntarily, because my coaching team played it for me." He apparently didn't want to subject himself to the homage a second time: "I only listened to it once, not more often."
Song by Buddy Ogün
The lyrics in particular seem to have made the national coach skeptical. "I tuned out here and there during the lyrics", he admitted - a reference to one or another suggestive passage in the song. Behind the song is comedian Buddy Ogün. The Hamburg native simply titled the track "Nagelsmann" and playfully works with the coach's last name throughout it. "Our man who can nail everything is called Julian Nagelsmann", goes one of the deliberately ambiguous lines. Elsewhere, Ogün sings about an alleged strength of the coach: "Our man with nail expertise is called Julian Nagelsmann."
Such wordplay around a World Cup is nothing new for Nagelsmann. "There are always all sorts of people, funny songs for the World Cup", he categorized the phenomenon. As little as the national coach can appreciate the musical monument, he reacts calmly in the end to the unexpected fame. "If it makes two people happy at Ballermann, then I'm quite pleased about it", he said.
Germany faces Ecuador
More important than the party hit for him anyway is what happens on the field: The final group match against Ecuador will kick off on Thursday at 10 p.m. CEST and will be broadcast live on ARD and MagentaTV. Germany has already been confirmed as group winner.
