Germany, the host nation for Euro 2024, announced their preliminary squad on Thursday, with notable absences of Mats Hummels and Leon Goretzka standing out among otherwise expected selections.
Goalkeeper Selection
Manager Julian Nagelsmann has included four goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen, Oliver Baumann, and Alexander Nübel from VfB Stuttgart. Nagelsmann emphasized the importance of having multiple goalkeepers to manage the workload during the tournament, allowing for better training dynamics.
Faith in Familiar Faces
Nagelsmann largely retained the players he has relied on over the past seven months, avoiding major changes to maintain team stability. “When you have this structure, which is still growing but fragile after our performances in March, bringing in new elements could trigger an implosion of that structure and you would have to start from scratch,” he explained.
Veteran Presence and Rising Stars
The squad features veterans like Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos, and Manuel Neuer, all of whom were part of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team. In addition, 20-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic earned his place following impressive performances for Bayern Munich, despite missing the March friendlies due to injury.
Bayer Leverkusen Trio
Bayer Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich, Florian Wirtz, and Jonathan Tah were also called up, having contributed to their club’s unbeaten streak across all competitions this season.
Tournament Preparations
Germany enters the tournament opener against Scotland on June 14, followed by matches against Hungary and Switzerland in Group A. Having shown promise in their recent victories over France and the Netherlands in March friendlies, the squad aims to build on this momentum.
Nagelsmann will need to trim the 27-man squad to 26 before the tournament, balancing experienced players with emerging talent as Germany seeks its first major trophy since the 2014 World Cup.
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