Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka and his Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel have criticised the decision for their national side to play international friendlies in North America just days before returning to Bundesliga action.
Julian Nagelsmann will take charge of his first games as the Germany men’s national team coach during the upcoming international break and while his appointment promises an upswing in form, the scheduling is controversial in light of concerns about football’s schedule and the risks of player burnout.
The game against the USMNT will take place in Connecticut on Saturday at 9pm European time (8pm BST, 3pm ET). Nagelsmann’s Germany will then face Mexico in Philadelphia the following Wednesday at 2am European time (1am BST, Tuesday 8pm ET) two days before the Bundesliga is set to resume when Borussia Dortmund play Werder Bremen on Friday evening.
Dortmund trio Mats Hummels, Niklas Sule, and Niclas Fullkrug have all been selected by Nagelsmann and all three will likely be involved in that fixture, less than 48 hours after Germany’s return home.
The heaviest criticism, though, has come from Bayern, with Tuchel questioning the Deutscher Fussball Bund’s (DFB, German FA) wisdom in scheduling a trip, with Germany preparing for a home European Championship next summer.
“I don’t know if I’d be interested in playing against Mexico in America before a (tournament) in Germany,” Tuchel said. “I don’t know if anyone can explain this in a way that I can understand. I don’t know who decided it, but it has been decided.
“There is a difference between a busy schedule and everything away from home and in different time zones. This is at the end of the endurance. No coach in the world at this level will say otherwise.”
Plans for the trip were first reported on in January 2023, in the aftermath of Germany’s group stage elimination from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The two games were then confirmed in July 2023. During that time, Germany have won just two of their seven games, a run which led to the dismissal of Hansi Flick, who was the first manager to be sacked in the DFB’s history.
While Nagelsmann’s arrival marks the beginning of a new era, however, the negativity surrounding these upcoming games has continued. Following his head coach’s lead, Bayern midfielder Goretzka was similarly critical.
“It’s not optimal in terms of travel and, above all, I personally find it extremely unfortunate that the second game is at 2 a.m. German time. I can’t really understand that,” he told DAZN.
“As players, we are in a situation where we do what we are told. Of course, we can be critical, but at the end of the day, we are there to perform and accept it in the best possible way.”
The Athletic has contacted the DFB for comment.
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