National team Why Julian Nagelsmann is taking four goalkeepers with him to the European Championship
Goalkeeper Alexander Nübel is one of the guarantees of success at VfB Stuttgart
© Tom Weller / DPA
Alexander Nübel is surprisingly going to the European Championship as the fourth goalkeeper. National coach Julian Nagelsmann justified the personnel pragmatically with the training planning. But the 2026 World Cup should also play a role in the appointment.
Alexander Nübel, 27 years old, was actually supposed to go on a safari to Tanzania. The trip was planned for the summer vacation, but that has now been canceled by the highest authorities. On Tuesday evening, the VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper received a call informing him that he would be named to the European Championship squad, as the fourth goalkeeper alongside Manuel Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen and Oliver Baumann. The surprised man said that the appointment of national coach Julian Nagelsmann for the European Championship tournament in Germany meant “extremely a lot” to him and was something “outstanding.”
Nübel also doesn’t have to worry that he will lose his place in the squad again and that he will be sorted out before the final squad is announced on June 7th. Instead, the national coach announced that he would like to go into the tournament with all four keepers. This means: One of the 23 field players will have to vacate his place.
Partner in table tennis games during the European Championships
No national coach has ever taken four goalkeepers to a major tournament; normally there were three. Your role at the European and World Championships was always clearly defined: step on the gas in training, support your colleagues and otherwise keep calm. And of course be available as a partner in table tennis games. At the World Cup in Qatar, this role fell to Kevin Trapp from Eintracht Frankfurt. Now Nübel and Baumann together form number three, if you will.
National coach Nagelsmann
These players are in the provisional European Championship squad
Nagelsmann justified the decision in a very pragmatic way: training was more effective and easier to plan with four keepers, and load control was easier. What Nagelsmann didn’t say, but what should play a role: Nübel, like Maximilan Beier from TSG Hoffenheim and Aleksandar Pavlovic from FC Bayern, is a promising player for the 2026 World Cup. All three have not yet played a single international match, but have the talent to play a role in the national team.
Alexander Nübel would be further along without Neuer
Nübel would be further along in his career if he didn’t have the misfortune that Manuel Neuer, the all-time number one at Bayern and in the national team, simply doesn’t want to give up his place. The former Schalke player has been under contract with Bayern since 2020. The manager at the time, Hasan Salihamidzic, thought it would be a good idea to arrange Neuer’s successor at an early stage. But he doesn’t even think about retiring.
So, after sitting on the bench at Bayern for a year, Nübel left and moved to AS Monaco on loan. Last year he moved on to VfB Stuttgart, which was his great luck. Here he was finally able to show what talent he has again in the Bundesliga. Now he has to continue to be patient until Neuer announces his departure. Then he would be the new number one at Bayern and could place higher demands on the national team.
Sources: DFB press conference, DPA
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