National team
Reports: Stuttgart goalkeeper Nübel not in the European Championship squad
DFB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel will definitely miss the match against Greece – perhaps also at the European Championships. Photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
The national coach has to report his final 26-man squad to UEFA by midnight. Who will he drop for the European Championship? It will probably be a goalkeeper.
These are Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern) as number one, as well as Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona), Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim). There was no official confirmation of the personnel change at first. However, the team has already been informed of this decision.
The matchday squad of the national football team published by UEFA for the last European Championship friendly against Greece had caused speculation about goalkeeper Nübel before the match in Mönchengladbach. The 27-year-old from Stuttgart was not among the 26 players on the umbrella organization’s list for the last test in Borussia Park on Friday evening. National coach Julian Nagelsmann must report the final 26-man squad for the home tournament starting on June 14 to UEFA by midnight.
Clarity after Greece test
Nagelsmann recently said that the decision about who would be eliminated from his final European Championship squad had already been made. When announcing the provisional European Championship squad, the national coach had originally communicated that he would go into the tournament with four goalkeepers instead of just three. However, Nagelsmann will only announce which player will not be taking part in the home European Championship after the tournament dress rehearsal against Greece.
The player concerned has not yet been informed of the decision either. He has “discussed various options” with his coaching staff, the national coach reported on Thursday evening. The outcome of the game against Greece is no longer decisive for the selection, unless a player is seriously injured. Maximilian Beier from TSG Hoffenheim and Robin Koch from Eintracht Frankfurt were recently considered candidates for elimination. Nagelsmann once again asserted that no player deserved to be eliminated.
Lothar Matthäus reacts with incomprehension
Record national player Lothar Matthäus has no understanding for Nagelsmann’s decision. “I was very, very surprised and I feel sorry for him. He played an outstanding season at VfB Stuttgart,” said Matthäus in Mönchengladbach before Germany’s last European Championship test against Greece.
“I can’t understand that, even based on his statements so far,” criticised Matthäus. “You need him in the future. I would have taken him with you then. You don’t need 25 field players to become European champions.”