Now the European Championship is being rehearsed. Nagelsmann’s dream team is expected to show its tournament form against Greece. Sané, Gündogan and a goal-scoring substitute are the focus. And one of them is dealt a hard blow.
There are many things on Julian Nagelsmann’s wish list for the final test run before the home European Championship, but one thing is missing. The fact that a failed dress rehearsal is seen as a good omen for the premiere, “this law is repealed,” said the national coach in Mönchengladbach before the final 90 minutes of testing for the home European Championship.
Nagelsmann wants to see as many goals and enthusiasm for the European Championship as possible from his tournament eleven, including the newly added Champions League kings Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger, on Friday (8.45 p.m./RTL). “The players are extremely willing to deliver,” he said. Exactly one week before the opening match against Scotland, the signal should come from Borussia Park that football Germany can look forward to the kick-off of the European Championship with great anticipation and hope. Does the host again have a tournament team that can achieve great things? “I see us on a very good path,” said Nagelsmann optimistically.
“The last test match is simply very important for our self-confidence. We want a spirit of optimism, we want to take our fans with us,” said defensive leader Rüdiger. The 31-year-old, together with leader Kroos, wants to transfer the winning DNA and “killer instinct” of Real Madrid to the national team. The royal duo were missing from the annoying 0-0 draw against Ukraine, as were Dortmund’s Wembley losers Niclas Füllkrug and Nico Schlotterbeck, who are not part of Nagelsmann’s dream team for the European Championship.
Goal guarantors wanted: “Additional option with abundance”
Nagelsmann is expecting a win against the Greeks in order to be able to go into the final stretch of preparations with a tailwind. The opponent, the sensational European champions of 2004, had dramatically missed out on participation in the European Championship after losing on penalties in the playoff final against Georgia. “We are all here to win,” said Kai Havertz. The Arsenal professional will start again at the top of the attack.
After the abundance of chances against Ukraine, Kroos and Rüdiger are expected to give the team another boost. But the national coach also explicitly highlighted the value of Füllkrug as a classic number nine in the offense. The 31-year-old has the best goal ratio in the DFB squad, eleven goals in 15 international matches. “It’s good that we have an additional option in Fülle, another thoroughbred striker,” said Nagelsmann.
The head coach also has an unpleasant task ahead of him on Friday evening. Immediately after the test, Nagelsmann will announce which player he will drop from the provisional 27-man squad. The tournament squad, which will consist of a maximum of 26 players, must be reported to the UEFA umbrella organization by midnight. “It will affect someone who doesn’t deserve it,” said Nagelsmann after intensive discussions with the coaching team.
Who will suffer the bitter European Championship exit? Beier? Koch?
Who will it affect? Hoffenheim’s Maximilian Beier, who made a name for himself with a courageous substitute appearance against Ukraine, including a shot that hit the crossbar. The 21-year-old attacker was initially the first candidate to be cut. Or will Nagelsmann reduce the defensive area by one position by sending Frankfurt’s Robin Koch on vacation early? “The decision has been made. We will make the final announcement after the game,” said Nagelsmann about the process.
A head coach does not think of a squad in terms of the backbenchers in the team, but of the core of the starting eleven plus the biggest challengers. And that is why Leroy Sané is the focus of attention at Borussia Park. After a three-game suspension following the red card in November against Austria and a month without match practice since FC Bayern’s bitter Champions League exit against Real Madrid, Nagelsmann expects proof of performance.
Sané must provide proof of performance
Sané must answer how much he can give the DFB team at the European Championships despite his pubic bone problem. “He will have to get some minutes,” said Nagelsmann after the Munich striker’s two full training sessions with the team. “But Leroy is a player who can make the difference,” said Nagelsmann about Sané’s value.
With the 34-year-old Kroos, the question of what he can contribute is no longer an issue, especially after his remarkable comeback performances against France (2-0) and Holland (2-1). Kroos is the central piece in the Nagelsmann puzzle. He can play a maximum of eight games before the end of his career – including the European Championship final on July 14 in Berlin.
Wirtz on leader Kroos: “We can be happy…”
Young star Florian Wirtz showed how much the younger players look up to trophy collector Kroos. “We can be happy that he has decided to support and lead us at the European Championships,” said the 21-year-old Leverkusen double winner.
The captain is also in the spotlight. Ilkay Gündogan is not yet in tournament form. The “perhaps toughest season” of his career at FC Barcelona has left its mark on his body. “I’ve got an extremely high number of minutes under my belt. Now the aim is to be in top shape for the opening game and to be ready to invest everything in the tournament,” he said.
Gündogan: Captaincy is no guarantee of playing time
He does not see the captaincy as a guarantee that he will be a starter in every European Championship match. “I believe that modern football has changed. It is no longer structured in such a way that you say the captain always has to play,” said Gündogan. He too has to “prove himself again and again,” said the 76-time national player.