Overview
- Wagner publicly defended his former boss Julian Nagelsmann in an interview published Saturday, saying criticism has fallen disproportionately on the coach rather than on underperforming players.
- He argued Germany had too few players in top form at the World Cup and that it is overly simple to place sole blame on the coaching staff.
- Wagner questioned whether the Deutscher Fußball-Bund provided a platform and environment that let players feel comfortable enough to show their best football.
- Reflecting on his own short, difficult spell as FC Augsburg head coach, Wagner said he learned from that experience, used his post‑dismissal time to study European football, and is ready to take a new job outside southern Germany.
- The exchange adds to a wider debate in German football about how accountability should be split between players, coaches, and the federation after the national team’s tournament failure.