EURO2024
Unlucky Pavlovic “very sad” – Can gets EM chance
Will miss the European Championship: Aleksandar Pavlovic. Photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
Young star Aleksandar Pavlovic has to withdraw from the European Football Championship. National coach Julian Nagelsmann is relying on experience when making a late nomination shortly before the start of the tournament. However, not on Leon Goretzka.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann has to do without Pavlovic because he is once again suffering from an infection. The 20-year-old midfielder was recently absent from the team’s headquarters in Franconia. Nagelsmann nominated Dortmund’s Emre Can instead – and not Leon Goretzka from FC Bayern Munich, who he had previously ruled out.
Nagelsmann explains decision
“It is of course bitter to make such a decision. It always hurts. He is a very good player, a good person, but at that age I have a responsibility towards the player,” Nagelmann said in a DFB video about Pavlovic. “If he arrives here and is put under too much strain, there is a high residual risk that he will get an infection in his tonsils and be out again,” said the national coach. Pavlovic would not have been fit to play.
Because of his illness, Pavlovic did not return to the German European Championship quarters in Herzogenaurach until Monday like the other 25 national players. The DFB selection’s photo session on Wednesday was initially postponed. Then came the news that they were out of the tournament. The other 22 field players and three goalkeepers trained as usual in the morning. Nagelsmann can replace sick or injured players until the European Championship kick-off against Scotland on Friday (9 p.m.).
Comeback for Can
“We want another number six in the squad and have therefore decided to nominate Emre Can. He immediately expressed his enthusiasm and willingness to join the team,” said Nagelsmann. Can played the last of his 43 international matches in September last year in Dortmund’s 2-1 win against France under interim coach Rudi Völler. Nagelsmann then took over as national coach and did without the robust BVB captain.
Now his time in the national team has come again. “We wanted to have another player in the squad who has played a lot of games and who knows how to deal with the pressure. He can fulfill the profile that we need now,” said the national coach. What was unusual was that no Nagelsmann quote was added to Pavlovic’s statement. The national coach is probably already in the tournament tunnel.
In the strict hierarchy of the DFB team, the 30-year-old Can now takes on the backup role. Toni Kroos and Robert Andrich are set to play in the number six position. Pascal Groß is the first substitute. Again, not considering Goretzka was a continuation of Nagelsmann’s uncompromising personnel idea. The Munich native had recently posted a vacation photo from Norway, and his ousting had hit him hard.
Sympathy from Musiala
Now Pavlovic is the next Munich player to be unlucky at the European Championships. “I think it’s a real shame for Pavlo. He will stay positive,” said his Bayern teammate Jamal Musiala. “We’ll talk to him in the next few days.” Pavlovic had not played a major role in Nagelsmann’s plans for the opening match against Scotland.
This continues the young Bayern pro’s streak of bad luck with the DFB team. Pavlovic had already had to cancel a possible debut in March for the matches in France (2-0) and against the Netherlands (2-1) due to tonsillitis. In Herzogenaurach he recently announced that he would consider an operation this summer due to the recurring problems.
At the first training camp in Blankenhain at the end of May, Pavlovic joined team training a few days late. He then made his international debut as a substitute in the 0:0 draw against Ukraine in Nuremberg at the beginning of last week. After his strong debut season with Bayern, Pavlovic decided to pursue a career in the Germany jersey. He could also play international matches for Serbia.