Euro 2020: Joachim Loew Recalls Thomas Mueller and Mats Hummels in Germany Squad, Marco Reus to Miss the Tournament
Germany head coach Joachim Loew has recalled exiled stars Thomas Mueller and Mats Hummels to the national team after a hiatus of two years as he named his 26-member squad for Euro 2020 next month. Loew had left the duo out of the national side shortly after Germany, the then world champions, crashed out of the group stage at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the Nations League the following year. Germany also suffered a shocking 1-2 loss to North Macedonia in April in Group Stage of the 2021-22 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. UEFA Euro 2020 Anthem: Official Song of the Tournament, We Are The People, by DJ Martin Garrix Featuring Bono and The Edge Released (Watch Video).
“You can interrupt an overhaul under the circumstances,” Loew said at a news conference. In the defence we did not have the desired stability recently and experience may have been missing in some games. Mats is a player who influences other players and brings experience,” he added.
Welcome back to #DieMannschaft, @esmuellert_ and @matshummels! ??#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/SSgXn7Xf81
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) May 19, 2021
Hummels established himself as a prominent figure in the Borussia Dortmund line-up, winning the German Cup recently. Muller, on the other hand has had a terrific season with German champions Bayern Munich where he found the net 11 times and assisted 18 times this season. Euro 2020 or Euro 2021? Here’s What UEFA has to Say About Tournament’s Name After it Was Postponed Due to COVID-19
Loew added, “We want a team bubbling with ambition and passion..A team that gives everything on the pitch to be successful. That is our aim and you can feel it in the team that it wants to be successful at this tournament.”
Monaco striker Kevin Volland, who hasn’t represented the country since 2016, also found a spot in the squad and so was Bayern starlet Jamal Musiala.
Germany is placed with Hungary, France and champions Portugal in Group F. They would have an advantage nonetheless since all their three group games are in Munich. The tournament begins on June 11 with Germany playing their first match against France on June 15.
“I have not yet set a goal for the tournament,” the 2014 World Cup winning coach stated, adding, “this time we don’t belong to the absolute favorites like France, for example, but this is not necessarily a burden.”
“For a tournament it is important to be focused in every game, every game is a knockout game. We play with France then against Portugal. So we want to survive the group stage. If you make the mistake of thinking of a second or third step in advance it may be an obstacle.
“If we get through the group and get into a flow then my team can achieve anything,” the 61-year old said.
Earlier, Borussia Dortmund skipper Marco Reus made himself unavailable for selection, stating that he wanted to recover from what has been a, “very intense” season.
Germany Squad:
Goalkeepers: Bernd Leno, Manuel Neuer, Kevin Trapp
Defenders: Matthias Ginter, Robin Gosens, Christian Günter, Marcel Halstenberg, Mats Hummels, Lukas Klostermann, Robin Koch, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule
Midfielders/attackers: Emre Can, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Ilkay Gundogan, Kai Havertz, Jonas Hofmann, Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Jamal Musiala, Florian Neuhaus, Leroy Sane, Kevin Volland, Timo Werner
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on May 19, 2021 10:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
