Sane, Havertz, Füllkrug among latest German Euro 2024 squad members
Leroy Sane, Kai Havertz and Niclas Füllkrug were among players confirmed on Tuesday as German squad members for the Euro 2024 home tournament in an unconventional announcement process.
Bayern Munich winger Sane was named via a portrait in a Frankfurt art gallery, Arsenal forward Havertz via social media channel Calcio Berlin, and Füllkrug in a radio show by public broadcasters WDR.
Singer Peter Schilling meanwhile named VfB Stuttgart full back Maximilian Mittelstädt via Instagram, with his hit Major Tom played in the Frankfurt stadium in March when Mittelstädt scored his first Germany goal against the Netherlands.
Stuttgart team-mate Chris Führich was announced via a bread bag from a bakery in the Black Forest region, and Eintracht Frankfurt defender Robin Koch by German comedians Dennis and Benni Wolter.
The official full squad presentation by coach Julian Nagelsmann is scheduled for Thursday but the ruling body DFB chose a new and unconventional path to generate more excitement, and to avoid media leaks like ahead of the March games.
On Sunday and Monday, Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck was unveiled in the main evening news of public broadcasters ARD, uncapped Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic during a show by private broadcasters RTL, and Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Bayer Leverkusen centre back Jonathan Tah via social media videos.
More names are expected to follow later Tuesday and Wednesday.
The unique announcement process has drawn wide-ranging praise from fans, and Füllkrug was present via phone when his participation was confirmed by WDR.
"I am having goosebumps thinking about it. It makes me so proud," he said.
Füllkrug, who has 15 caps and 11 goals, added that Nagelsmann had signalled to him after the last games against France and the Netherlands that he would be part of the squad for the June 14-July 14 tournament.
"We spoke at length in private during the last training course. If he holds talks like that and you are no fool you should understand that he's planning with you."
Füllkrug also seemed to confirm on Tuesday that there would be no place in the squad for Dortmund team-mate and 2014 World Cup winner Mats Hummels, the defender set to be the most prominent absentee alongside Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka.
"Of course he would certainly have deserved it in terms of his performance. But there are certainly also considerations where other things play a role. The coach will also have his ideas. We all have to trust that," Füllkrug said.
The inclusion of Koch, who won his eighth and so far last cap in 2021 but was recalled without playing in the March games against France and the Netherlands, was a further indication that Hummels won't make it.
The fifth and likely final centre back spot is expected to go Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton instead.
The Bild paper and Sky TV said that Hummels and Goretzka would not be part of the squad, after already being dropped by Nagelsmann in March, and the coach saying afterwards that major changes were unlikely.
Nagelsmann will gather his squad in late May for pre-Euros training and tune-up games against Ukraine on June 3 and Greece on June 7.
Real Madrid's Germany players Antonio Rüdiger and Toni Kroos as well as Dortmund's Schlotterbeck and Füllkrug will miss the first week of training, and probably the Ukraine game, because their clubs contest the Champions League final on June 1.
Nagelsmann must submit his final squad list of a maximum 26 players on June 7, a week before Germany open the Euros against Scotland. Hungary and Switzerland are the other group stage opponents.
