There is a renewed sense of belief and optimism towards the German national team after their performances on home soil at EURO 2024. They came ever so close to reaching the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, but were beaten by Spain in heart-breaking fashion in the quarterfinals in Stuttgart. Had Germany gone through, they would have faced France in the semifinal match, but with the way Julian Nagelsmann had the team playing for most of the tournament, they would have had to have been odds-on favorites to make it to the final.
Fora many, Germany vs. Spain in the quarterfinals was dubbed “the real final” of the tournament, given the fact that they were the two strongest nations at the tournament. The way the brackets worked out, it was a bit unfortunate that most of the highest-ranked teams were on the same side of the knockout stages bracket, knocking one another out.
Regardless, Nagelsmann helped restore a sense of pride and hope moving forward for the national team — a sense that had been missing for far too long, dating all the way back to the disastrous 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović missed out on the EUROs due to surgery to remove his tonsils to alleviate chronic tonsillitis that he had been experiencing, but he is back in the squad for the pair of UEFA Nations League matches for this month’s international break. For the 20-year-old, he is delighted with the way Nagelsmann has managed the national team since he has taken charge and he very much hopes to be in his squad for when the 2026 World Cup rolls around. “He has set new goals and is pushing us wherever he can. Winning every game, approaching every training session with 100% — that is my goal. Focus on the next game, with the goal of the World Cup in two years,” he enthused from Germany’s training camp in Düsseldorf (via @iMiaSanMia).
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
For Pavlović, he certainly has a bright future ahead of him for both Bayern and Germany. It was a shame that he was unable to take part in the EUROs over the summer, but there is now a golden opportunity in the midfield for him now that Toni Kroos has retired along with Manchester City’s İlkay Gündoğan. There is a chance for the youngster to establish himself as a mainstay in the German midfield.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on the current state of Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany? What about four key storylines to follow after international break? Or…what about why Jamal Musiala snubbing by the Ballon d’Or committee might create some longer-term issues for the Bavarians? Great, then we have you covered with this latest edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show! You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
