Germany’s national team coach Julian Nagelsmann has responded to Uli Hoeneß’s criticism, though in doing so, he seems to have distorted some of the facts.

During his appearance on ZDF’s “Aktuelles Sportstudio” late on Saturday night, Nagelsmann repeatedly avoided questions about the situation surrounding Manuel Neuer. While speculation continues to grow, it remains uncertain whether the 40-year-old Bayern Munich goalkeeper will be recalled to the DFB squad for the upcoming World Cup, potentially relegating Oliver Baumann to the bench.

Nagelsmann, however, directly addressed recent remarks from Uli Hoeneß. The Bayern Munich president had criticised the national coach for excessive squad rotation. Hoeneß stated, “If Germany can develop team chemistry despite the coach not fielding the same starting XI twice in a row, then we have a chance.” He further commented, “The German team has never played with the same starting XI two matches in a row—I hold that against Julian, and I have already told him that personally.” Hoeneß also claimed that Nagelsmann, his former Bayern colleague, was “somewhat offended” after their recent exchange.

“I have immense respect for Uli,” Nagelsmann said in response, acknowledging the Bayern legend. “He has achieved incredible success and played a crucial role in shaping Bayern Munich into what it is today, including its reputation across Europe.” Nagelsmann added that Hoeneß has his personal phone number. “I’m always glad when he has something important to share. If he sees areas where I or the team can improve, he’s always free to give me a call.”

However, Nagelsmann did not let Hoeneß’s two specific criticisms go unanswered. “I rarely take offence,” he said, before addressing the rotation issue with a hint of smugness. “Just as one example: Aleks Pavlovic started in September. In October he was injured, so we had to replace him. I doubt Uli would have been pleased if I had said, ‘Come on, Pavlo, the injury doesn’t matter—you still have to play in October.’”

Clarifying the Aleksandar Pavlovic Situation

While Nagelsmann was correct in pointing out that changes to Germany’s starting eleven are sometimes unavoidable due to injuries and the long intervals between international fixtures, his specific example was not entirely accurate.

In reality, the timeline unfolded differently: after recovering from an eye-socket fracture, Pavlovic had already featured twice for Bayern Munich and was available for national duty. However, Nagelsmann chose to leave him out of the squad during the September international break—a decision that sparked considerable debate at the time. By October, Pavlovic had returned to the squad and started both matches. It appears Nagelsmann did not double-check the facts before using this example, which made his rebuttal seem somewhat contrived. Nonetheless, he still made five changes to his starting lineup between the second September fixture (a 3-1 win against Northern Ireland) and the first October match (a 4-0 victory over Luxembourg).

In recent months, Nagelsmann has occasionally faced criticism for making statements that are easily disproven. For instance, during a widely discussed interview with Kicker in March, he praised Leon Goretzka’s aerial ability—implicitly contrasting it with Anton Stach’s—despite statistics suggesting otherwise. Nagelsmann has also made other contentious remarks about Pavlovic, including comments about his match fitness and medical condition.

The DFB Squad: Nagelsmann’s Tenure as Germany Manager