Germany’s head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has come to the defense of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, describing the criticism he has received following his transfer to Liverpool as unfair.
The 22-year-old has not yet managed to consistently display his best form in the Premier League, which has raised doubts about his adaptation to English football.
Wirtz made headlines at Bayer Leverkusen, where during the historic 2023/24 season he scored 18 goals and was named Player of the Season, helping the team win both the league title and the cup without a single defeat in the German championship.
However, his start in England has been more challenging, with Nagelsmann calling for more patience toward the German talent.
“This is a completely normal situation for a young player. He is an emotional person and needs to get used to criticism. At this level of intensity, it was not justified,” Nagelsmann said.
He also revealed that he has had several conversations with Wirtz during this period.
“We have grown even closer. We’ve had very good discussions where he has opened up. He is intelligent and very honest, and he always takes something positive from these conversations,” the German coach added.
In the end, Nagelsmann expressed optimism that this period will strengthen the attacking midfielder.
“He can learn a lot from this phase and come out even stronger,” he concluded.
