Hummels, Goretzka, Schlotterbeck
Nagelsmann takes another close look at the weak candidates for the European Championship
May 10, 2024, 4:46 p.m
It’s all about everything for Leon Goretzka, Mats Hummels or Nico Schlotterbeck: Next week Julian Nagelsmann will announce his provisional European Championship squad and at the weekend the shaky candidates can audition one last time. The national coach also has to think about possible replacements for those who are injured.
Julian Nagelsmann is relaxed. The national coach saves himself a hectic tour of the stadiums at the weekend. The majority of his provisional European Championship squad is in place – and Nagelsmann prefers to ponder the borderline cases in private.
The 36-year-old will give the answers to the exciting questions to the expectant public on May 16th at Partner VW in Berlin. Will Nagelsmann honor Dortmund’s high flight in the Champions League? Will the rejected Bayern star Leon Goretzka still make it into the squad? And will he pull a surprise out of the hat for the home tournament?
BVB personnel in particular are causing discussions. Will Nagelsmann really only call striker Niclas Füllkrug from the premier class finalist like he did in the successful March international games? Almost unthinkable for Mats Hummels. The central defender is still toying with a nomination himself, but has also been pushing hard for his neighbor Nico Schlotterbeck. “If he ends up going with me, I’ll be almost as happy as if I was going with him. Germany will have a lot of fun with him for many years to come,” said Hummels.
Gnabry is out for the European Championship
Nagelsmann is left cold by the statements. After the victories against runner-up world champions France (2-0) and arch-rivals Netherlands (2-1), he sees the DFB selection on the right track for the hoped-for summer fairy tale 2.0. He nominated strictly based on performance and called up some high-flyers from VfB Stuttgart. He also assigned each professional a clear role in the squad. It’s hard to imagine him throwing everything over again. But can he now seriously bypass Schlotterbeck or Hummels and instead appoint Robin Koch from Eintracht Frankfurt?
Former DFB captain Michael Ballack told MagentaTV that the national coach has a “great responsibility to find the right players – not always the best ones – who are also good for the other players.” Nagelsmann has to “find exactly the group that will fit together in these four weeks.” RTL expert Lothar Matthäus sees Goretzka as “a fifty-fifty decision” and emphasized: “Unsatisfied players disrupt the atmosphere, Julian Nagelsmann will definitely avoid that.” The issue of Serge Gnabry has already been resolved due to a torn muscle bundle.
Nagelsmann is allowed to appoint a maximum of 26 players for the tournament (June 14th to July 14th). He has to report his final squad to the European Football Union (UEFA) a few hours after the European Championship dress rehearsal against Greece in Mönchengladbach on June 7th. Recently, Nagelsmann has tended not to use all the available positions. “I’m generally more in favor of 23, but I can understand all the arguments for 26,” he said in April.
But at least 26 players could still travel to the training camp in Weimarer Land (May 26th to 31st). Nagelsmann must be able to react to short-term absences due to injuries. Munich’s Leroy Sané, for example, has been struggling with pubic bone problems for weeks. That’s why some people sense their chance. At the weekend, Goretzka and Co. can once again advertise on their own behalf. Ultimately, the last impression counts. And Nagelsmann will also see everything in front of the television.