Julian Nagelsmann Announces Euro 2024 Germany Squad

Julian Nagelsmann has nominated 27 players for his preliminary Germany squad ahead of this summer’s European Championships. The German national team coach must cut one player before submitting his final squad list on Jun. 7.

The current squad includes four goalkeepers and 23 field players. The final player to be cut will be a field player, as the 36-year-old wants to take four goalkeepers to the tournament.

Nagelsmann said at the squad announcement on Thursday that he wanted to take four goalkeepers to distribute the workload during training sessions. With Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel in the squad, no.1 Manuel Neuer and no.2 Marc-André ter Stegen can take from squad training sessions.

The goalkeeper selection was also the least controversial. Neuer has been in excellent form and will start the tournament. Ter Stegen has been solid keeper for Barcelona for years. The same can be said about Baumann at Hoffenheim. Nübel, in the meantime, has been excellent for Stuttgart this season and is now set to succeed Neuer at Bayern in a few years.

Perhaps the biggest controversy was in defense, where Dortmund defender Mats Hummels missed out. But those who have followed Nagelsmann closely in recent months should not be surprised that the center-back isn’t in the squad.

Although the 35-year-old has been a key player for a Dortmund squad that has reached the Champions League final this season, Hummels doesn’t fit Nagelsmann’s tactical approach. Germany is expected to play possession-style football with a high defensive line. Although Hummels is excellent in the box, his speed would be an issue.

Instead, Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen) and Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) will be expected to start every game. They will be backed up by Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart), Nico Schlotterbeck (Dortmund), and Robin Koch (Frankfurt). While Anton plays the same possession-style football at Stuttgart, Nagelsmann envisions playing with Germany, and Schlotterbeck brings plenty of speed; Koch might be a candidate to be cut ahead of the tournament.

Wingbacks Benjamin Henrichs, David Raum (both RB Leipzig), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern), and Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart) compliment the defensive group. It is a solid group that will likely see Kimmich start on the right and Mittelstädt on the left.

Then, moving on to midfield, the other big topic was the exclusion of Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka. But Goretzka, like Hummels, wasn’t going to start at the tournament, which might explain their complete exclusion from the squad.

"As a coach, you have to try to put together the 26 most suitable character traits,” Nagelsmann said during the official squad announcement on Thursday. “We believe that players fulfill the role defined for them in the best possible way. In some cases, we made bold decisions in March that started to take effect in the ten days we spent together back then. We also had the working atmosphere assessed by other employees, people who have been there for a long time. And their feedback was that it was the best working atmosphere they had in years.”

It is important to note that neither Goretzka nor Hummels was part of the squad in March. Instead, Nagelsmann nominated clear starters who were supplemented by up-and-coming players who clearly knew their respective roles.

This midfield group will be led by Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), who will be the creative engine of the squad. Statistically, Kroos has been the best midfielder in Europe this season and his return was a major factor in Germany’s wins over France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1) in March.

“I expect him to support all players,” Nagelsmann said. “He helps other players extremely with his calmness on the ball and the awareness that everyone can give him the ball at any time.”

In defensive midfield, Kroos will be supported by Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich. A true workhorse, Andrich has been the sort of midfielder Germany has been missing ever since Jens Jeremies retired.

Meanwhile, captain Ilkay Gündogan (Barcelona), Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sané (Bayern), and Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen) will be the creative center of Germany’s attacking play. Musiala and Wirtz are the biggest talents in the world at their respective positions and will be the starters.

That means Nagelsmann must decide between Gündogan and Sané for the final position in attacking midfield. Whether Gündogan or Sané starts will most likely depend on the opponent. While Sané brings speed, Gündogan is better at maintaining possession.

The rest of the midfield group consists of Christian Führich (Stuttgart), Pascal Groß (Brighton), and Aleksandar Pavlovic, all classic backup players. Groß and Pavlovic are very similar to Kroos, and Führich could challenge Musiala and Sané for a starting role.

“If Kroos ever gets tired, Pascal Groß is a player who embodies many of his qualities,” Nagelsmann said. “We also have Pavlovic—I hope Toni Kroos will give him a bit of a hand for the future.”

Then there are the center-forwards. Germany has struggled with this position in recent years. But the emergence of Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) and Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim) has given Nagelsmann two exciting additional options to the always-reliable Niclas Füllkrug (Dortmund).

Then there is Kai Havertz. Playing under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal this season, Havertz has finally unleashed his full potential as a true no.9. Going into the tournament, the 24-year-old is expected to lead Germany’s attack.

Finally, there is elder statesman Thomas Müller. Müller, unlike Hummels and Goretzka, is headed to the tournament even though he is not expected to start. But Müller has increasingly found himself in the same role at his club, Bayern and excelled in the role as a player that can also lead off the pitch and be an important ingredient of making this squad a team.

A few things stand out. Despite a less-than-satisfying season, Bayern will have six players in the squad. Stuttgart has five players in the contingent. That one is easy to explain: Nagelsmann wants to play the same possession-style football with Germany that Sebastian Hoeneß has done successfully with Stuttgart all season.

Leverkusen is the only other club in Germany that has played this type of football successfully. But unlike Stuttgart, Leverkusen has heavily relied on foreign stars. Regardless, Leverkusen’s Tah, Andrich, and, especially, Wirtz will be crucial for Germany’s success at Euro 2024.

Ultimately, this squad will have to act like a team for all of this to work. That hasn’t worked out for Germany over the last three tournaments, and that is why Nagelsmann has opted to exclude certain players, even if they have been in excellent form.

The preliminary Germany squad for Euro 2024:

Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern), Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart) and Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona)

Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart), Benjamin Henrichs (Leipzig) Joshua Kimmich (Bayern), Robin Koch (Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart), David Raum (Leipzig), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen)

Midfielders: Robert Andrich (Leverkusen), Chris Führich (Stuttgart), Pascal Groß (Brighton), Ilkay Gündogan (Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Jamal Musiala (Bayern), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern), Leroy Sané (Bayern), Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen)

Attackers: Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim), Niclas Füllkrug (Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Thomas Müller (Bayern), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart).

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth and on Threads: @manuveth