Germany World Cup Squad: Neuer reclaims top spot, Sané included as Adeyemi misses out

May 21 — In an interview, Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann discussed various selections for the World Cup squad, covering topics such as the fourth goalkeeper, young Bayern Munich players, and the forward line configuration.

Regarding the fourth goalkeeper, Ulreich
Nagelsmann confirmed that although the young Bayern goalkeeper Ulreich is not on the official 26-man roster, he will travel with the team to the World Cup. "We want to have a fourth goalkeeper available for training. Ulreich has performed very well at Bayern and has also been excellent when training with us. He brings great energy to the team."

Regarding the exclusion of young players like Bischof
Speaking about Bayern youngster Bischof, Nagelsmann stated: "We have many talented players who are capable of participating in the World Cup. Whether it's El-Mara, Ousmane Ouedraogo, or Tom, we didn't call them up for various reasons. The competition for Bischof's position is extremely fierce. I think he played well in the matches he featured in, but he hasn't played in too many key games yet. I told him he came very close, and I rate him very highly."

"Bischof often plays in different positions at Bayern, not in the specific position we need him for here. I told him he was really close; we were discussing his name until the very last moment. I think he only played maybe 30% of the possible minutes, but he will definitely play more in the future. He will also participate in major tournaments for Germany down the line. I rate him very highly. He was naturally sad and frustrated, but his reaction was very good. He has a bright future."

Regarding the goalkeeper hierarchy: Neuer returns as No. 1
Nagelsmann made it clear: "Yes, I plan to have Manuel Neuer as the number one goalkeeper. For the goalkeeper position, a coach's main task is to pick the three best goalkeepers in the country. We believe Alexander Nübel, Oliver Baumann, and Neuer are the best three. Therefore, we decided to contact Neuer and ask if he was willing to play for the national team again. Everyone knows what kind of aura Neuer has and what he can bring to the team. He committed to playing in one more major tournament. We plan to have him as number one—while we are also aware that we have Oliver Baumann, a world-class number two. This decision has been made—and for me, it is the right choice."

Regarding Baumann's reaction
Nagelsmann also talked about Baumann: "We told Oli back in March that we had spoken to Neuer. Ultimately, this decision was a blow to Oli; it's never good news. When Neuer plays, he helps the team. But there are times when he doesn't play, and that situation could also happen to us. So I expressed my trust in Oli. Neuer has won so many titles; he has an aura and a big name. Of course, Oli isn't going to say, 'Ah, okay coach, no problem'—delivering such news naturally affects the relationship to some extent."

Regarding Musiala
"Jamal's form is getting better and better. He is getting closer and closer to the player he was before his injury. Even if Jamal is only at 95%, he is still one of the most special players on this planet. I am very happy that he is back and will help us."

Regarding World Cup goals
"My previous statements still stand. I have repeatedly emphasized that wewant to become world champions. For me, there is a difference between 'wanting' to and 'saying we will definitely do it.' Every player has the responsibility to prove it on the pitch."

Regarding Bayer's inclusion and Adeyemi's exclusion
"I really like having players who can play multiple positions. Adeyemi had a very good first half of the season, but unfortunately, the second half didn't go as smoothly. I'll say a few words because Karim always seems to have a bit of a bad reputation. His reaction was top-class; he handled it very well. As for Maximilian Bayer, you can always envision scenarios where you can bring him on as a substitute. He can bring us a lot."

Regarding the call-up of Sané
"His stats at the club level aren't high enough. But for the national team, he contributed five goals in his last four matches. Of course, I also need to evaluate his performance for the national team. He is a controversial topic. What he lacks is becoming clearer. He is extremely popular within the team—with Antonio, Jonathan, Jamal, and so on—I could name 15 more people. I have a great connection with him. We might form a real understanding during the tournament. He has special abilities in tight spaces. Considering his perhaps less impressive stats at the club level, he might initially be in a challenger's role. He can make a huge impact with his speed and technique against deep defenses. I have a good relationship with him, and I believe I can push him to his limits so that after the World Cup, there will be much more positive feedback about him."

Regarding dropping Füllkrug and Kleindienst
"Goretzka is very strong in the air on the offensive end. We also have Havertz and Schlotterbeck, who both have good height. Kleindienst hasn't played much for a whole year. His characteristics are vitality and fighting spirit. I originally hoped to have him with us, but after a long injury layoff, we really couldn't take him. As for Füllkrug, the issue lies in his goal-scoring record. He hasn't scored many goals over the past two years."

Regarding Tresoldi
"Nicolo Tresoldi came extremely, extremely close to being selected. He isn't a typical target man, but he is a classic center-forward. He was incredibly close, but ultimately didn't make the list because we would have had to drop someone else to fit him in. It wasn't easy."

Source: YouTube