"Players like Gossens or Phil Kruger , they are not at the top level of Europe. Of course you have to make substitution adjustments, but that doesn't help our game. As time goes by, things get worse. We can only be average on the left. We have to strengthen the defense on this side because there is little contribution to offense. After Rudiger and Schlottbeck were out, our defense was not solid enough. We need higher-level players. We have been chasing our opponents and it's already lucky to be able to avoid a bigger score gap."
In the early morning of Thursday, Germany lost 1-2 to Portugal at home. In an interview after the game, Barack said: "The German team made many mistakes in the game. I think the necessary physical fitness and strength have not reached the level they should be. This must be clearly pointed out. Obviously there are some things missing. I don't think the team doesn't want to win, but this willingness is not reflected on the court. Nagelsman's substitution did not bring any positive effects, neither improving the team's strength nor increasing the team's vitality."