Germany coach suggests Liverpool’s Wirtz showed insufficient aggression after defeat to Slovakia

Liverpool’s record signing Florian Wirtz found himself under scrutiny as Germany endured a shocking 2-0 loss to Slovakia in their World Cup qualifying match.

After the historic defeat — Germany’s first-ever away loss in a World Cup qualifier — with goals from David Hancko and Lukas Strelec, coach Julian Nagelsmann openly questioned the team’s mentality.

Despite concerns over his fitness before the match, Wirtz played the entire game, which turned into a national disappointment.

Nagelsmann expressed his frustration in an interview with Bild, stating, “I’m tired of hearing about ‘quality’; what matters now is emotion and commitment. We picked the best German players, but maybe we need to prioritize those who give everything on the pitch over pure quality.”

The 38-year-old manager added, “Players need to treat matches like Champions League semi-finals. Holding back won’t cut it, not even against Slovakia. Without the right emotional intensity, quality is irrelevant.”

While Nagelsmann did not name Wirtz directly, the midfielder’s mistake in midfield contributed to Slovakia’s second goal, intensifying criticism of the new Liverpool No. 7’s fighting spirit.

What This Means for Liverpool and Wirtz

Wirtz, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million this summer, played the full 90 minutes and earned a SofaScore rating of 7.2, the second-best on the German team.

At Liverpool, Wirtz has already shown flashes of brilliance and appears well-suited to Arne Slot’s tactical approach. However, Nagelsmann’s comments suggest concerns about Wirtz’s current form.

Despite this setback, Wirtz remains a key figure for Germany, though his mental toughness will be tested as he begins his Liverpool journey.

Liverpool also invested heavily this summer, bringing in Alexander Isak from Newcastle alongside Wirtz, signaling strong faith in both players.

The club hopes Wirtz will quickly move past this international disappointment, rebound against Northern Ireland this weekend, and focus on helping Liverpool defend their Premier League title.