Leeds United midfielder Anton Stach is pushing hard to be part of Germany’s 2026 World Cup plans, but Julian Nagelsmann is going to be a hard man to convince.
Survival should be the main focus for this Leeds United squad in the final 10 games of the Premier League campaign.
However, there’ll be a thought in the back of several players’ minds about impressing national team coaches ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Could Anton Stach force his way into Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany plans?
A revelation for Leeds this season has been midfielder Anton Stach. Signed for £17million from Hoffenheim back in the summer, he’s proven to be one of the best transfers of any club this season.
His three incredible free-kicks have come alongside a total four goals and three assists this season. The 6ft4in midfielder has been integral to Leeds’ newfound aggression under Daniel Farke in a back five formation.
While largely seen as a ball-winning midfielder, Stach’s creativity in the final third shouldn’t go unnoticed either. Back in the summer, I compared Stach to Declan Rice as a profile of midfielder, and his performances across the board only back up that statement.
Julian Nagelsmann makes horrendous claim on Anton Stach amidst Germany call-up question
Earlier this season, Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann reportedly viewed Stach as a potential partner for Bayern Munich’s versatile star Joshua Kimmich.
However, the 38-year-old has since made a totally baffling comment on Stach’s skill-set and how he’d fit into the German national team.
“He’s doing well there, but he’s not exceptionally strong in the air and not a top ball-winner either,” Nagelsmann told Kicker.
“He’s also someone who prefers to have the game in front of him. In my view, his best position at Hoffenheim was the central role in a back three, from where he could drop into the No.6 position.”
Julian Nagelsmann could not be more wrong on Anton Stach’s role
What I gather from this is that Nagelsmann is never going to be convinced by Stach, for whatever reason, and this hilariously lazy assessment is what comes as a result.
Stach has shown he’s capable of playing deep between centre-backs while in the Bundesliga, but that’s by no means his best role.
At Leeds, he’s shown his ability to play in front of the ball as an advanced midfielder. In 2026, he’s been deployed more or less as an inside-right-winger at times – see Everton away.
To me, his best role is as a box-to-box midfielder, winning duels all over the pitch and covering immense ground. Something Nagelsmann doesn’t think he’s capable of, weirdly.
StatFigureRank vs PL midfieldersGoals + Assists76thChances created503rdBig chances created95thPossession won in final 3rd per 900.94thAerial duel success62.3%*–Fotmob Rating7.3110th*Could not find comparison figures for aerial duel success – 62.3% is very strong, though.
On top of that, Stach is also in the top 10 of the league for distance covered per 90 minutes. Prior to this weekend, Stach was covering 11.63km per 90 minutes.
This is a real shame for Stach, as he should have a strong chance of international recognition this summer. But, his national team manager is woefully misprofiling him and giving him no chance of proving him wrong as a result.
It goes to show, even if you’re one of the highest-profile coaches in the game, you still might not know what you’re talking about sometimes.
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