The Blaswich DFB team is sparking annoyance among the locals.
Manuel Neuer is no longer in the picture, Marc-André ter Stegen seriously hurt: The German national football team's goalkeeper situation is up in the air. New boss Julian Nagelsmann brings in Janis Blaswich as the third choice keeper. Some experts find this unconventional.
It was widely believed that the goalkeeper conundrum in the German national team would sort itself out: The long-standing Manuel Neuer is indeed gone, while his replacement Marc-André ter Stegen is severely injured. Kevin Trapp, who has been on the fringes or in the squad for years, is currently out of contention. This narrows down the options for Nagelsmann. Oliver Baumann, it was obvious, would be in the Nations League, along with Alexander Nübel. But who would be the third option? Bernd Leno from FC Fulham would have been the obvious choice. Regular starter and frequently playing against the best in the Premier League.
However, things didn't pan out as expected. Leno is unavailable, and surprise, surprise, Janis Blaswich joins the squad instead. The 33-year-old, on loan from RB Leipzig to Red Bull Salzburg, is their undisputed number one and regularly features in the Champions League. This convinced Nagelsmann. He also mentioned that Blaswich had performed well when he was part of the A-team earlier. He's the "perfect fit" as the third choice, according to Nagelsmann. Many experts disagree. The personnel decision is causing discontent. For instance, from Lothar Matthäus.
"That's a surprise for me," said the record national player and TV expert to RTL/ntv and sport.de. He admitted that he didn't have Blaswich "on his radar". "He didn't deliver the outstanding performances at Salzburg that he had at RB Leipzig. I was expecting Bernd Leno because Kevin Trapp is still injured," Matthäus assessed. "For me, Leno was the more experienced goalkeeper who would be selected by the national coach."
Fredi Bobic was even more critical of the nomination: "Bernd Leno is nowhere to be found. I have no idea why he's not there," said the former European champion and long-time functionary on Sky. "The mix I've seen now doesn't impress me in the least." Former national goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller also can't understand the coach's decision. "Bernd Leno has the most international experience in my opinion. That he's not even considered now is quite surprising. For me, Bernd Leno is definitely a national goalkeeper who should be in the squad."
A plausible reason for Leno's omission: Leno is reportedly not on good terms with ter Stegen. Ter Stegen will once again be the number one upon his recovery, as Nagelsmann stressed: "He has all the time he needs to get back to full fitness." But for now, the goalkeeper battle is between the posts is between Baumann and Nübel. Nagelsmann promised Hoffenheim veteran Baumann his DFB debut. "Olli had a great start with many good games in the Bundesliga and Europa League. He deserves a national team game." However, the situation is such that "we don't know for sure if one of them will play both." This means that the loaned Stuttgart player Nübel can hope to make his national team debut in Munich against the Netherlands.
Despite Bernd Leno's experience and frequent appearances in the Premier League, he was unavailable, leading to Janis Blaswich's surprising inclusion in the German national team's squad. As the undisputed number one at Red Bull Salzburg, Blaswich's performances convinced Nagelsmann to bring him on board, seeing him as a "perfect fit" as the third choice keeper.
