Julian Nagelsmann Addresses Eintracht Frankfurt Omissions and Backs ‘Very Good Friend’ Dino Toppmöller

Frankfurt, Germany – Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann used Thursday’s DFB press conference to explain his decision to omit three Eintracht Frankfurt players from the latest national squad and to voice personal support for recently dismissed Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller, his former assistant and “very good friend.”

Fielding a question from Hessen broadcaster FFH roughly one third of the way through the briefing, Nagelsmann confirmed he had spoken individually with Robin Koch, Jonathan Burkardt, and rising star Nathaniel “Nene” Brown about their absence from the team sheet. While he declined to elaborate on Koch’s omission—widely linked to a dip in form—or on Burkardt’s, attributing the Mainz forward’s non-selection to a combination of injury rehabilitation and the strong recent performances of Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav, Nagelsmann offered an extended endorsement of Brown.

“I’ve had relatively positive exchanges with all three players,” Nagelsmann said. “I explained to all of them the whys of their selection and non-selections.”

Turning to Frankfurt’s turbulent season, the 36-year-old tactician praised the club’s willingness to embrace new tactical concepts under the incoming coaching staff. “Frankfurt haven’t had an easy season. They’re stabilizing a bit now. There’s a lot of new ideas from the new head coach,” he noted, before adding a warm tribute to Toppmöller, who was relieved of his duties earlier this month.

“I found their previous head coach to be a very good one as well,” Nagelsmann continued. “He is a very good friend of mine. It’s always a shame when your friends lose their job.”

Nagelsmann suggested that the coaching change should be viewed not as a verdict on quality but as a shift in philosophy. “Right now they are experimenting with different ideas. That doesn’t mean better or worse ideas, just different ones,” he said. “Players are playing in different positions, which I’m in favor of.”

The Germany boss singled out Brown, 19, as the standout performer in an inconsistent Frankfurt side. “Nene is very fast, creative, and very composed on the ball. I think that Nene has delivered the most consistent performances of all Eintracht players,” Nagelsmann stated. “He does have strong competitors in the form of Maxi Mittelstädt and David Raum, but we expect a lot of him and his time will come soon.”

While Nagelsmann stopped short of guaranteeing Brown an imminent call-up, his comments indicate the teenager is firmly on the German setup’s radar as the team prepares for upcoming international fixtures.