Euro 2024 Tournament Announcement - Unfortunate Pavlovic "very disappointed" - Can's chance for the European Championship
Aleksandar Pavlovic is still feeling the effects of bad luck when it comes to representing his nation. After his recent disappointment in the Euros, he quickly issued a statement for the future: "I'm heartbroken that the dream of hosting the Euros has fallen through! I send my best wishes to the team and I'll come back stronger!" His Instagram post included a black background, reminiscent of a condolence message.
National team coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to manage without Pavlovic, as the young midfielder struggles with yet another infection. Pavlovic was not present at the team quarters in Franconia, and Nagelsmann selected Dortmund's Emre Can over FC Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka.
Nagelsmann defended his decision
"It's definitely hard to make this call. It's never easy. He's a fantastic player, a truly good person, but at this age, I have to take responsibility for the player," said Nagelsmann in a DFB video regarding Pavlovic. "If he comes here and is overworked, the likelihood of getting another infection in the mandible area and dropping out increases."
Pavlovic was not among the 25 national players who reported to the German EM quarters in Herzogenaurach on Monday. The photo shoot of the DFB team was initially delayed. Later on, news of the tournament's exit was revealed. The other 22 field players and three goalkeepers trained as usual in the morning. Nagelsmann still has the option to replace injured or sick players prior to the Euros opener against Scotland on Friday at 9pm.
Can's comeback
"We were looking for an additional central midfielder in our squad and decided to pick Emre Can," said Nagelsmann. Can was last seen representing Germany in September 2021, playing against France as part of former interim coach Rudi Völler's tenure. Since then, Nagelsmann has taken over as national coach and made it clear that Can would not be included in his plans.
Now, Can is set to return to the national team. "Picking Can comes down to having a player who has experienced many games, one who is familiar with handling high-pressure situations," said the national coach. An unusual development: The announcement about Pavlovic was not accompanied by a quote from Nagelsmann. It's likely that he is already focused on the upcoming tournament.
Shoulder the backup role, Can does
In the strict hierarchy of the DFB team, Can takes a supporting position. Set as the main six-men are Toni Kroos and Robert Andrich. The first substitute is Pascal Groß. Similar to Goretzka, Nagelsmann maintained his uncompromising approach when it came to selection. This was a continuation of his hardline tactics, as Goretzka recently posted a vacation photo from Norway, which struck him hard.
Now Pavlovic becomes the latest unfortunate Bayern player experiencing Euros misfortune. Teammate Jamal Musiala said, "I feel really sorry for Pavlo. He's not going to give up." Musiala also plans to reach out to Pavlovic in the coming days. As for Nagelsmann's plans for the opening game against Scotland, Pavlovic was not considered to play a significant role.
More bad luck for Pavlovic
This announcement extends Pavlovic's streak of misfortune with the German national team. In March, a potential debut had to be postponed due to a mandibular inflammation for the matches against France (2:0) and the Netherlands (2:1). In Blankenhain, he had previously suggested that he might undergo surgery for ongoing issues.
Pavlovic joined the team training a few days late during the first training camp at the end of May in Blankenhain. He made his debut as a substitute in the 0:0 match against Ukraine in Nuremberg earlier in the year. Pavlovic decided to focus his international career on the German national team following his standout season with Bayern. He also had the option of playing for Serbia in international games.
