It was easy to miss, but after all the hullabaloo the DFB created by announcing most of the Germany squad via multiple external sources, there were multiple notable surprises when it came to the actual roster itself. Beyond all the call-ups and snubs, there was one overarching question: Why did Nagelsmann announce 27 players when only 26 would be allowed? The former Bayern Munich coach was always known for preferring a smaller squad for better harmony, so what changed?
Naturally, this was one of the very first questions Nagelsmann was asked in the subsequent press conference. @iMiaSanMia captured Nagelsmann’s response: “The candidates know about it. I won’t mention names out of respect for the players. It’s easy to explain why we have one more player. There are players who will join us late (due to the CL final). We need to have a good training squad with the right number to be able to train well and it’s also a little preparation in case someone gets injured. We also have two test matches that we want to play with a good squad and I don’t want to go in with just 18 players.”
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To be honest, it makes sense when you consider all the absences Nagelsmann will need to deal with for large portions of the preparation for the 2024 Euros. Preparations will start on the 26th of May, but Robert Andric, Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah will have to be managed having played the DFB Pokal final the day before, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Füllkrug will join at least a week late due to the Champions League final while Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane will be forced to sit out large parts of the preparation due to ongoing ailments. Nagelsmann needs a large enough squad to still train well while all the absentees are still gone. Still…four goalkeepers? Are you sure about that?