German media disagree about Florian Wirtz vs Finland after ‘unhappy’ season with Liverpool

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Empire of the Kop

·1. Juni 2026

German media disagree about Florian Wirtz vs Finland after ‘unhappy’ season with Liverpool

Florian Wirtz shook off his Liverpool cobwebs to play a key role in Germany’s 4-0 win over Finland.

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Julian Nagelsmann’s men enjoyed a comfortable warm-up win ahead of the World Cup, with goals also coming from Deniz Undav and Jamal Musiala.

German media gave the impression that the Reds’ playmaker had a decent, if not astonishing, showing in Mainz on Sunday.

Florian Wirtz shakes off his Liverpool blues for Germany

For context, German football outlets tend to grade players between 1-6 (one being the best score and six being the worst).

Most publications seemed to be of the mind that Wirtz fit right bang smack in the middle of this scoring system following his latest international display. However, BILD did generously hand the Liverpool star a 2 score.

Frankfurter Rundschau: Was rather inconspicuous in attack, but was perfectly positioned for the 2-0 goal and slotted it home without any trouble. Rating: 3
BILD: Anticipated a misplaced pass just outside the Finnish penalty area, grabbed the ball, and fired a shot. Hradecky made a comfortable save (21st minute). Scored a volley to make it 2-0 (48th minute). Rating: 2
Spox: He introduced himself with a beautiful pass to Nmecha in the ninth minute, which the latter unfortunately missed. He played some very nice passes after that, but also lost possession quite frequently and wasn’t nearly as active and lively as Karl on the other side. However, thanks to Undav’s strong pressing and sliding tackle, he scored the 2-0 goal from close range in the center, allowing him to leave on a high note in the 73rd minute. Rating: 3
SZ: After his season in Liverpool, he knows how unhappy one can sometimes feel in midfield. His crisis from the start of the season, however, is now a thing of the past: Wirtz radiated joy even during those phases of the first half when one might have suggested the Mainz fans order an espresso to keep them awake. He was rewarded for his hard work and backheel flicks in the 48th minute when he slotted home from close range to make it 2-0.
Spiegel Sport: What can the national coach take away from this game? Jamal Musiala is still far from the form he had before his long injury layoff. Nmecha can provide valuable support in an additional role on the right wing. Undav gets himself into scoring positions and converts them. Without Wirtz, the team’s creativity dwindles, but Karl brings energy to the game. However, Nagelsmann was likely already aware of all this. It all worked well against Finland. The bad news: Finland isn’t at the World Cup.

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The insistence on a more average score elsewhere might seem a little strange, given the former Bayer Leverkusen ace did pick up a goal against Finland.

MORE: Fabrizio Romano addresses rumours of shock Chelsea raid for ‘important’ Liverpool starter

Of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that the 23-year-old appears to be held to a higher standard with the German national team, given his generally superior performances on the international stage.

Florian Wirtz vs Finland
– Montag, 1. Juni 2026

Stats: How did Wirtz perform against Finland?

According to Fotmob, Florian Wirtz picked up the fifth-best score on the pitch for Germany (8.1/10):

73 minutes played
1 goal
38/42 passes completed
4 passes into the final third
3 shots on target
8 touches in the opposition box
1/3 successful dribbles
3 recoveries
1/4 ground duels won

Liverpool’s next manager has to build the team around Wirtz

There’s a growing expectation that Andoni Iraola will be the next Liverpool manager following Arne Slot’s sacking.

Whomever the next man in charge is, their priority mission (beyond likely integrating new wingers and a holding six) should be to build the team around Wirtz.

That’s not an argument just built on money, although it’s certainly a reason in light of the £116m (inclusive of add-ons) outlay we spent last summer. It should be one built on the overwhelming evidence of the technician’s quality and ability.

Take Spiegel’s assessment of Florian Wirtz’s importance to Germany as a case in point: “Without Wirtz, the team’s creativity dwindles.”

A claim somewhat echoed by his current Liverpool teammate Jeremie Frimpong: “He’s an amazing player, you know, he wins you titles.

“So yes, there’s a lot more coming from Flo, 100%. And there’s a lot more you will see.”

We’ve seen that in patches throughout the 2025/26 campaign, while the German international has never quite managed to hit the frequent heights of brilliance at Leverkusen.

We can perhaps apportion a large chunk of the blame to the club’s overall struggles last term, with Liverpool lacking a clear identity.

But with a fresh slate in 2026/27, we see absolutely no reason why the right man at the helm shouldn’t be maximising such an incredible talent.

Over to you, Andoni?