A late penalty denies Germany victory in Hungary. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann finds clear words.
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- The hand discussion accompanies the DFB eleven until the end of the international season.
- The German national team misses out on victory in Hungary thanks to a late penalty.
- National coach Julian Nagelsmann is angry with the referee and VAR. He also recalls the European Championship, when a handball by Cucurella was overlooked in the quarter-final match against Spain.
German coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed his anger after the controversial handball penalty for Hungary in the final Nations League match. He had asked the referee whether he had seen the game against Spain, Nagelsmann said on ZDF with regard to the penalty that was not awarded in the lost European Championship quarter-final. "He didn't quite understand what I meant," added the coach.
Robin Koch had been shot on the forearm in stoppage time against Hungary, and after the video referee's advice, Croatia's Duje Strukan decided on a penalty, which ex-Leipzig player Dominik Szoboszlai (90.+9) converted.
Nagelsmann with irony
"For me, it's not a handball, regardless of whether it would have been the other way around. Koch turns away and pulls his arm towards his body. You simply can't do it without an arm. I would never have given it. I also think it's madness that he was sent off. That's the mistake," criticized Nagelsmann: "I'm curious to see what UEFA will publish in four months' time." The European Football Union had judged the non-awarded penalty against Spain as a wrong decision after a delay of several months.
Nagelsmann has long been calling for a reform of the hand assessment. In his opinion, penalties should be awarded if the blocked shot would have led to a goal. This was also not evident in Koch's offense.
Overall, however, Nagelsmann was satisfied after the last international match of the year. "I've never felt such an extreme sense of unity. Not only do I feel comfortable here, I have very good employees. I have a team that has developed really well in such a short time. This sense of togetherness is unique. Personally, the year has given me a lot," said the coach. If the national team continues like this, it will be much better prepared in 2026 than it was before the 2024 European Championship.
dpa
