Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann observed as a diverse group of individuals announced his initial squad for the European Championship on Thursday. This group included students, TV hosts, singers, döner kebab chefs, radio hosts, and others.
In a video message shown at a fancy press event at Volkswagen’s showroom in Berlin, 27 players were revealed, with Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel being the only new addition.
At the end of the video, Nagelsmann commented, “Great team. It could have come from me. But it’s our squad.” He appreciated the unique approach to announcing the squad, seeing it as an important team-building experience that could pave the way for success in the upcoming tournament, which Germany will host next month.
Nagelsmann has stuck with the changes he made back in March before friendly matches against France and the Netherlands, both of which resulted in wins. This decision reflects his confidence in the team’s current setup and the success it has achieved.
Despite strong performances towards the end of the season, Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka did not make a return to the squad.
However, Hummels’ Dortmund teammate Nico Schlotterbeck has been included for the first time since last September. Hummels and Schlotterbeck recently played pivotal roles in Dortmund’s journey to the Champions League final against Real Madrid on June 1.
Schlotterbeck and his Dortmund teammate Niclas Füllkrug will be joining the Germany team later because they were part of the final. The same goes for Madrid’s Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger, who are also selected for the tournament.
Nagelsmann mentioned that it might be a bit challenging during training because Kroos and Rüdiger are key players who are expected to start. He prefers it when players perform well and comes with confidence.
Most of the squad was already known before the official announcement, but there were still some surprises. Thomas Müller hinted on Instagram that he was included before the federation confirmed it.
Müller, who has played 128 games for Germany, is the most experienced player in the squad, followed by his Bayern Munich teammate Manuel Neuer (117 appearances) and Kroos (108).
Nagelsmann mentioned that he will be taking four goalkeepers to the tournament but will have to reduce the squad by one before finalizing it.
The German soccer federation announced that Nagelsmann’s coaching team has extended their contracts until the 2026 World Cup, matching Nagelsmann’s recent contract extension.
Euro 2024 will be held in Germany from June 14 to July 14. Nagelsmann’s team will start preparing in Blankenhain, central Germany, from May 26-31 before moving to Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, on June 1.
Germany will have friendly matches against Ukraine in Nuremberg on June 3 and Greece four days later in Mönchengladbach as part of their warm-up.
The tournament begins with Germany playing against Scotland in Munich. They will then face Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19 and Switzerland in Frankfurt on June 23. “I believe we have a chance to win, and we need to build confidence in our ability to do so,” Nagelsmann said.
