European Championship squad: Nagelsmann is taking these 26 players with him

National coach Julian Nagelsmann has named 26 players, including tournament veterans Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller, in the final squad for the European Football Championship. Aleksandar Pavlovic remains the unlucky one in the national team. However, the Bayern young star combined his disappointment at the European Championship exit just two days before the opening match with a message for the future. “At the moment I am very sad that the dream of the European Championship at home has been shattered! I wish the boys the greatest possible success! And I will come back stronger!”, wrote the 20-year-old in an Instagram post on Wednesday. The post had a black background like a message of condolence.

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.

Euro 2024 without Aleksandar Pavlovic

“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 by 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./ZDF/Magenta TV).

Comeback for Can in the DFB squad

“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,” Nagelsmann explained his personnel decision. Can played the last of his 43 international matches in September last year in the 2-1 win in Dortmund 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.

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, leaving Goretzka out 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.

Nagelsmann said nothing about Goretzka on Wednesday, but instead mentioned that Gladbach’s Rocco Reitz, who had already been there as a guest for the first few days of training, would have been an alternative. However, Can’s greater experience spoke in his favor.

Julian Nagelsmann’s final European Championship squad:

Goal: Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern Munich), Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona), Oliver Baumann (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)

Defense: Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern Munich), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstädt (VfB Stuttgart), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Waldemar Anton (VfB Stuttgart), Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig)

Midfield: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Führich (VfB Stuttgart), Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ilkay Gündogan (FC Barcelona), Leroy Sané (FC Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Jamal Musiala (FC Bayern Munich)

Attack: Niclas Füllkrug (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (FC Arsenal), Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart), Thomas Müller (FC Bayern Munich), Maximilian Beier (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)