Leon Goretzka feels Julian Nagelsmann was the logical choice for Germany job

Leon Goretzka might not have been the most in favor player during Julian Nagelsmann’s tenure as Bayern Munich manager, but the midfielder very much believes that the 36-year old was the logical choice to replace Hansi Flick as German national team manager. Nagelsmann will have his first set of friendlies in charge of Die Mannschaft in mid-October with a pair of friendlies in North Americn against the USMNT and Mexico.

Prior to accepting the offer from the DFB to be Flick’s replacement ahead of Euro 2024, Nagelsmann was offered several club jobs, but didn’t want to step into anything too quickly after being dismissed by Bayern back in March. Now, Nagelsmann is the youngest Germany manager since Otto Nerz all the way back in 1926 and is tasked with the important job of getting them back on track ahead of hosting next summer’s European Championships.

“It was a bit of a logical step. He’s simply an outstanding coach, I think everyone in Germany knows that. He still had a contract at Bayern, but no active position, so it was the logical step for me — I’m glad that we now have a great football coach and I’m confident that we’ll carry on the momentum that we already had in the last game,” Goretzka recently explained to ZDF of Germany’s new manager (via @iMiaSanMia).

Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images

Goretzka had also backed Nagelsmann getting the nod from the DFB before any decision was even made, saying that the former Bayern, RB Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim manager would be a “great coach” for Die Mannschaft. Goretzka was also one of a handful of players to react with a great deal of shock when Bayern’s board made the decision to sack Nagelsmann in March, remaining adamant that the manager definitely had not lost the dressing room. Bayern’s board had made it clear their decision were results driven and that Nagelsmann wasn’t meeting the proper expectations laid out from the get-go, resulting in his dismissal.