After defeat against Portugal: Nagelsmann counters reporter's question rudely – the reporter reacts meekly

On Wednesday evening, the German national team missed out on reaching the Nations League final. Coach Julian Nagelsmann's team lost to a strong Portuguese side at the Allianz Arena. Things had initially looked good for the four-time world champions: After several top-class chances in the first half, Florian Wirtz put the German national team in the lead with a well-placed header shortly after the break.

But just ten minutes later, for many experts, the turning point of the game came: Both coaches made three substitutions. Winger Francisco Conceição came on for Portugal, while Robin Gosens came on for Germany. For the remaining half hour, Conceição and Gosens engaged in an intense duel – with the dynamic Portuguese generally coming out on top. Just five minutes after coming on, Conceição equalized with a long-range shot in the 63rd minute. Just a few minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the decisive 2-1 for Portugal.

At the subsequent press conference, Julian Nagelsmann defiantly responded to a journalist's question about how they would approach the upcoming third-place match against the loser of the France-Spain match. Nagelsmann countered with a question: "How would you approach it?" - "Win," the journalist replied curtly. Nagelsmann grinned: "We're on the same page there."

The national coach subsequently explained that the sporting outcome of the match was not his priority: "I'd rather have a top game and finish fourth than a bad game and finish third." For him, the team's development was more important than the result. Especially after a long season, a match for third place "isn't a psychological firework," but it still offers the opportunity to continue to mature.

Nagelsmann declined to offer a detailed analysis of the semifinal loss. Instead, he pointed to captain Joshua Kimmich, who had strong words in the locker room after his 100th international match : "There was a lot of truth in that," Nagelsmann praised his leading player's reaction. He likes it when such impulses come from within the team itself – he himself doesn't want to "add insult to injury."

The coach spoke positively about substitute Vitinha and goalscorer Conceição, who had "a huge influence on the game." At the same time, he criticized two "serious tactical errors" in defense that decisively influenced the outcome of the match. In the end, the 37-year-old said, they "didn't deserve to be in the final."