Julian Nagelsmann is relying on several players over 30 years of age at the European Championships. The starting eleven against Scotland could be the oldest since the tournament in 2000, when Lothar Matthäus was still an oldie.
Julian Nagelsmann could field the oldest German starting eleven at a major tournament in 24 years against Scotland. If the national coach can field his preferred formation at the start of the European Championship on Friday (9 p.m./ZDF/Magenta TV) in Munich, the national football team would have an average age of 28.7 years.
This value was last higher at the 2000 European Championship, when Germany, with 39-year-old Lothar Matthäus, ultimately failed in the group stage. Back then, the opening team in the 1:1 draw against Romania was on average 29.8 years old.
Quartet older than 30 years
In 2000, five players in national coach Erich Ribbeck’s team were 30 years or older. This time, in addition to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (38), there were also Toni Kroos (34), captain Ilkay Gündogan (33) and Antonio Rüdiger (31), making a total of four DFB professionals.
Neuer would be the oldest German player in the starting eleven for the opening match for the fifth time in a row since the 2016 European Championship. He is also the first German national player to be older than the national coach at a tournament. Julian Nagelsmann will turn 37 on July 23 – nine days after the final. No national coach has ever been younger at a tournament.
The junior in the team this time is Florian Wirtz (21), who is a good two months younger than his friend Jamal Musiala (21). 24 years ago, Jens Jeremies was the youngest in the starting team at 26 years old.
Müller once twice the Junior
The youngest German tournament starting eleven in this millennium was at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship, with an average age of 24.8 years in each case. In 2010 in South Africa, Miroslav Klose was the oldie at 32 years old, and in 2012 Philipp Lahm was the oldie at 28 years old. The youngest in the team at that time was Thomas Müller, now 34, at 20 and 22 years old.
The possible German starting eleven against Scotland:
Neuer (38 years) – Kimmich (29), Rüdiger (31), Tah (28), Mittelstädt (27) – Andrich (29), Kroos (34) – Musiala (21), Gündogan (33), Wirtz (21) – Havertz (25)
Source: Stern
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