BERLIN.- The selector of Germany, Julian Nagelsmann announced this Thursday a list of 26 players with numerous changes compared to the last one in November, ahead of this month’s friendly matches against France and the Netherlands, three months before the European Championship.
Thinking about that continental tournament, in which Germany will host, the 36-year-old coach called the midfielder again Toni Kroos(Real Madrid) and the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, Manuel Neuerboth world champions in 2014.
Nagelsmann left eleven of the players he had selected in the last training camp in November off the list.
Among those absent are important names such as Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Mats Hummels and Niklas Süle, in addition to the suspended Leroy Sané.
Kroos, 34, announced at the end of February that he was returning to the national team at the request of Nagelsmann, after having retired from it in 2021.
Neuer, 37, was seriously injured on December 9, 2022. He now returns to the national team, although his return will not affect the captaincy, which will continue to be held by Ilkay Gündogan.
Among the new faces of the team, three players from Stuttgart, third in the Bundesliga, stand out: Deniz Undav, Maximilian Mittelstaedt and Waldemar Anton.
Nagelsmann told reporters that this time he opted for “dynamic” players, capable of bringing “fresh air” to the team. “The door is not closed to anyone,” he clarified.
Germany is coming off a major crisis of results in recent months, which raises doubts ahead of ‘their’ Euro Cup.
On March 23, they will face France in a friendly in Lyon, before hosting the Netherlands in Frankfurt on the 26th of the same month.
Germany roster for friendly matches:
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Bernd Leno (Fulham/ENG), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP).
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart), Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstaedt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid/ESP) , Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen).
Midfielders: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Jan Niklas-Beste (Heidenheim), Chris Führich (Stuttgart), Pascal Gross (Brighton/ENG), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona/ESP), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/ESP), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).
Strikers: Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim), Niclas Füllkrug (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal/ENG), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart).
FOUNTAIN: AFP
