The final EM squad of the German team is. Now it depends on 23 players who not only selected the national coach brave, but also farsighted.
National coach Christian Wück often tells the anecdote: As a captain Philipp Lahm, a year after the 2014 World Cup was asked who was the most important player in the DFB squad, he replied: Roman Weidenfeller. The goalkeeper was only a replacement, did not play a game in Brazil. But it was important for the team.
For Wück this means: “It doesn’t have to be the best players, but it has to be the best player.” This is exactly the task of a coaching team to “find this team.”
With his squad for the European women’s European Championship in Switzerland, the 52-year-old apparently succeeded. Wück decided courageously and farsighted – and the team could not have put together better.
His squad testifies to a new beginning two weeks before the European Championship start. The generation of established leaders such as Alexandra Popp or Marina Hegering has been adopted. Instead, players with international experience such as Rebecca Knaak (Manchester City) and Sjoeke Nüsken (FC Chelsea) come to the fore. Wück opted for the young stars Franziska Kett, Cora Zicai and Carlotta Wamser. That testifies to courage.
Responsibility, which was mainly on the shoulders of ex-captain Popp for years, is redistributed. Giulia Gwinn now leads the team. Janina Minge established herself as a defense chief, Klara Bühl said goodbye to her fluctuations in shape and developed into an important support on the offensive. Together they developed under national coach Wück into a goal -hungry team that also got the construction site under control in defensive work.
Wück did not completely decide against long-time top performers: Kathrin Hendrich played the central defense for years, took part in tournaments such as Olympia and the 2023 World Cup several times and has already been on the pitch 83 times for Germany. Sara Däbritz also held the position in the midfield center (108 caps) for years.
In the recent past, she lost her regular position like Hendrich, but as substitutes both offer a strong alternative with experience. So Wück has at all times the EM capable player in the hindquarters – even if he had to leave valued professionals at home.
Because his selection is sobering for the Vice European Champions Felicitas Rauch, Lena Oberdorf and Sara Doorsoun. While Rauch was no longer taken into account anyway, Wück even decided against Oberdorf after weeks together as part of the Nations League – for health reasons. The Munich woman had returned from a cruciate ligament tear after ten months, but has not played a game so far.
DoorSoun was also announced in advance that she had no place in the EM squad. The 33-year-old, who never got beyond a reservist role in the German team, then ended her DFB career.
Wück focuses on dynamics, freshness – and has put together a team that has the potential to surprise Europe. The German team now has to prove that they can do this.