Admin I Wednesday, March 13, 2024
BERLIN – Ilkay Gündogan expects to remain Germany captain despite the expected return of long-time skipper Manuel Neuer and veteran Toni Kroos.
Barcelona midfielder Gündogan was named captain last year by then coach Hansi Flick when Neuer was sidelined with a leg fracture, and new helmsman Julian Nagelsmann confirmed the 33-year-old in this role.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer is set to return into the squad for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos is coming out of three years of international retirement for upcoming friendlies against France and the Netherlands.
“At the moment, I assume that I am still the captain,” Gündogan told Prime Video after Barcelona’s 3-1 Champions League over Lazio on Tuesday night.
But he added that many other players must also shoulder responsibilities to make the team successful again, and that “in the end, it doesn’t really matter who wears the armband.”
Germany have had poor results lately and need a turnaround in the March 23 and 26 friendlies in order to boost morale for this summer’s European Championships at home.
“In the end, it’s important that we’re a team, that we show unity, that everyone is aware of their role. And if we can do that well, then I’m convinced that we’ll play a very, very good European Championship,” Gündogan said.
Nagelsmann will announce his squad on Thursday, with several surprises expected.
The likes of Leon Goretzka and Mats Hummels will reportedly not be picked while Bayern’s Aleksander Pavlovic, and the VfB Stuttgart trio of Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Deniz Undav will get a first call-up.
Gündogan said he spoke with Nagelsmann on the phone recently, saying: “It was a brief chat but you can expect that I will be at the Euros, that were his words.”
