Euro 2024 Tournament - Unfortunate Pavlovic Feels Sad as Can Possibly Obtain a Chance at the European Championship
Aleksandar Pavlovic continues to experience misfortune with the national team. After being excluded from the Euros just two days before the opening match, he issued a statement predicting a brighter future. "I'm incredibly sad that my dream of hosting the Euros has dissolved! I wish the guys the utmost success! And I'll bounce back even stronger!" wrote the 20-year-old on Instagram, using a dark background similar to a condolence message.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann must manage without Pavlovic, who is experiencing another infection. The 20-year-old midfielder was absent from the team's quarters in Franconia. Nagelsmann chose Dortmund's Emre Can as Pavlovic's replacement instead of - and not the previously disqualified Leon Goretzka from FC Bayern Munich.
Nagelsmann explains the decision
"It's painful to make such a decision. It always hurts. He's a terrific footballer, a great person, but at his age, I must assume responsibility for the player," said Nagelsmann in a video for the DFB about Pavlovic. "If he shows up and gets overloaded, the chance is high that he'll get another infection in the glands and be excluded again."
Pavlovic did not join the other 25 national players who returned to the German Euro quarters in Herzogenaurach on Monday. The photo shoot of the DFB squad was initially postponed. Then the tournament withdrawal news arrived. The other 22 field players and three goalkeepers trained in the morning as usual. Nagelsmann can still nominate replacements for unwell or injured players until the Euro kick-off against Scotland on Friday at 9 p.m.
Can's comeback to the national team
"We needed an extra six-man on the team, and we chose to nominate Emre Can," said Nagelsmann. Can participated in his final 43 international matches at Dortmund against France under interim coach Rudi Völler a year ago. Nagelsmann took over as national coach shortly after and ruled out the strong BVB captain.
Now Can's time in the national team has returned. "We aimed for a player who has participated in many games and knows how to manage pressure. He can fulfill the role we need," said the national coach. Unusual: No Nagelsmann statement was included in the DFB's announcement about Pavlovic. The national coach might already be in tournament prep mode.
In the DFB team's strict hierarchy, Can now assumes a backup role. Set on the six-man position are Toni Kroos and Robert Andrich. The first substitute is Pascal Groß. Goretzka was not considered again, continuing the tough player selection policy of Nagelsmann. The Munich player had recently posted a vacation photo from Norway, and his exclusion had a significant impact on him.
Sympathy from Musiala
Now Pavlovic is the next Bayern Euro casualty. "I feel really bad for Pavlo. He'll keep a positive attitude," says his Bayern teammate Jamal Musiala. "We'll chat with him in the coming days." Pavlovic's role in Nagelsmann's plans for the opening match against Scotland was not crucial.
The young Bayern player's misfortunes with the DFB team have persisted. A potential debut in March had to be canceled due to a mandibular inflammation for the matches against France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1). In Herzogenaurach, he had previously said he was considering an operation due to the recurring problems this summer.
Low Profile at the initial training camp in May, Pavlovic joined the team training with a couple of days' delay. He made his national team debut as a sub in the 0-0 game against Ukraine in Nuremberg on the previous week. Pavlovic decided to represent Germany after his impressive first season with Bayern. He could also don the Serbian national team jersey in international matches.
