Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann strongly defended Florian Wirtz after he failed to score or assist in the match where Germany defeated Luxembourg 4-0.

The playmaker Wirtz faced criticism in England due to what some considered a slow start to his career at Liverpool, following his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth $155 million.

Speaking to reporters after the World Cup 2026 qualifying match on Friday, Nagelsmann said: “He did well. He tried a lot. He was unlucky with one or two chances. But that is not his fault.”

Wirtz (22 years old) missed a scoring opportunity when his shot hit the crossbar in the second half, and Germany’s coach expressed his confusion over the criticism directed at the player in England.

Nagelsmann said: “He is still the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League. If other players fail to convert those chances into goals, it negatively affects his stats. But that’s not even a third of the truth.”

He added: “I see him completely free. Wirtz is a player who knows well what he can do and understands how things work in the football world,” according to the German news agency.

The German national team, leading Group 1 in the qualifiers on goal difference, will face Northern Ireland the day after tomorrow, Monday.

Nagelsmann said: “Once he scores three goals, he will become the transfer king. Currently, he is just considered an expensive player. That’s the nature of things, but he doesn’t care about that.”