“Dear national coach, Anton Stach is definitely part of the World Cup squad. Look at this. Brutal free-kick. I don’t want any objections,” exclaimed an enthusiastic Joachim Höber into the Sky microphone as Anton Stach had just put his free-kick into the net against Aston Villa.
A regular in the best leagues in the world, he is one of the most dangerous midfielders in the Premier League and is also very good defensively. Stach is currently in his prime, but Julian Nagelsmann seems to have no interest in him. Has Bayern’s bonus disappeared here?
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“He performed well there, but he’s not a great header or a top duelist, but a guy who likes to put the game in front of him,” Nagelsmann explained when asked about Stach in a recent interview with Kicker. There is currently no place for the 27-year-old in Germany’s World Cup starting XI. On the contrary, players who are former national team coaches have an advantage.
“At present, although Goretzka has less playing time at Bayern, he will have a good opportunity to play and play a role similar to that in the World Cup qualifiers. Because he is also a person who can enter the penalty area, has strong heading ability and great strength.” Nagelsmann emphasized. But wait, what do the statistics actually say?
Yes, something completely different. According to “Opta” reports, Goretzka’s winning rate in aerial duels this season is just over 38.1%, which is his lowest value in five years. Anton Stach has achieved a success rate of 62.3% in the physically demanding Premier League. Okay, maybe Nagelsmann isn’t paying close attention to this, but even if the statistics are decidedly less detailed, Stach has an advantage.
📸 George Wood – 2026 Getty Images
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In the Premier League, he has started 23 of 25 possible games. Goretzka has only been a rotation player at Bayern since announcing his departure this summer. The 31-year-old has been absent from the squad twice in the past five Bundesliga games and has played exactly one minute twice. However, Nagelsmann emphasized to Kicker that a player does not necessarily need to have a regular position to earn a starting spot at the World Cup.
However, what is surprising is that Stach does not even have a chance to make the team at the moment.
“There has been no communication so far, which I find a bit disappointing, because when there is no communication at all, you naturally feel very, very distant from the team, so it’s not even considered,” Stach criticized when Sky News asked about Nagelsmann’s situation last October.
Even though it’s unclear whether the two have been in contact since then, it’s still surprising. Nagelsmann seems to want to rule out the former Hoffenheim man altogether. Although he possesses vital abilities against defensive opponents.
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Stach and Dominik Szoboszlai are currently the players with the most direct free kicks in the Premier League this season (3). This is a small sample.
tasty. Just like Anton Stach has created 50 great chances this season. This puts him in the Premier League’s top five, competing with the likes of Bukayo Saka (50) or Dominic Szoboszlai (52).
Even his coach Daniel Falke couldn’t help but praise: “He is a key player for us. He has a perfect combination of defensive skills, physical fitness and the ability to give us defensive stability while also inspiring our offense.”
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Still, there doesn’t seem to be a place for Stach alongside Leon Goretzka. Recently, Aleksandar Pavlović has played there and performed well.
In addition, Bayern players Goretzka and Pavlovic know each other very well. For now, this seems decisive, and certainly an advantage that cannot be ignored. But even so, shouldn’t Stach at least be given a bench spot?
So far, no. Stach has only featured in two international matches since making his DFB-Pokal debut under Hansi Flick in March 2022. He was last named in the squad in June 2022. Even if his nomination four years ago may have been premature, the 27-year-old had already shown solid performances before joining Leeds United. Stach became a regular player at both Mainz 05 and TSG Hoffenheim before moving to the Premier League in the summer of 2025.
But who knows, maybe Julian Nagelsmann will finally listen to the advice of Fax and the Heber couple, who have regularly seen Stach excel in the Premier League. In test matches against Switzerland (27.03.) and Ghana (30.03.), the midfielder will have the opportunity to prove that he can also harmonize with the Bayern stars, even if he does not play for Munich himself.
This article was translated into English by artificial intelligence. You can read the original version of 🇩🇪 here.
