Introduction to the German Team
Christian Wück took over his first big tournament as the Germany coach last summer and has had a lot of experience in his 23-player squad for the European tournament on July 27th in Switzerland. Captain Giulia Gwinn and her teammate of Bayern Munich, Lea Schüller, as well as Sara Däbritz and Kathrin Hendrich, belong to 11 players who were part of the German team that made it to the final in England in 2022, finishing in second place after a 2-1 loss.
The Squad
Freiburg’s 20-year-old talent Cora Zicai is also included in the squad. In an explanation, Wück described the squad as "good and balanced" and designed to find the right solutions for the challenges of the tournament. "We want to play with a mixture of joy, enthusiasm, will, and conviction – this is what this squad stands for. If we can do it, we can go very far," he said.
Recent Performance and Confidence
Germany won its last five Nations League games with little difficulty, the most recent being a 6-0 victory over Austria earlier this month. This streak has given the team a "boost" in self-confidence as they approach the tournament. However, Wück declined to say a specific goal for his team, choosing to focus on the team’s performance rather than setting concrete objectives.
Team Changes and Injuries
As expected, the defense lawyer Felicitas Rauch and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nicole Anyomi were not included in the 23-player list. The two had recently caused controversy by criticizing the national team coach about what they said was a lack of communication with players left out. Bayern Munich star Lena Oberdorf, who is still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury suffered last July, also remains injured and was not included in the squad.
Upcoming Tournament
Germany, the winners of the tournament eight times, will face Poland, Denmark, and Sweden in Group C. Their opening game is on July 4th against Poland in St. Gallen. With a strong and experienced squad, Germany is looking to make a significant impact in the tournament, playing with the joy, enthusiasm, and conviction that Wück has emphasized as key to their success.
