For many years, the German national team had one of the best goalkeeper positions in the world. Competing for number one between the posts were some of the best players in the world in this position: Manuel Neuer and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Disbelief in Germany. He rejected Nagelsmann's call
Now the situation in the German national team's goal has changed dramatically. First, Manuel Neuer decided to end his national team career after this year's European Championship. – After over 15 years and 124 matches, my adventure with the national team is ending. Anyone who knows me knows that making this decision was not easy. Physically, I feel very good and of course I would be able to play at the 2026 World Championships. However, after many intense and long conversations with my family and friends, I decided that this was the moment to close the chapter entitled team national – wrote Neuer on Instagram.
But that's not the end. At the end of September this year, Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a serious injury in a La Liga match and will not play for several months. It is not known whether the FC Barcelona goalkeeper will return at all this season. As a result, Germany no longer has two great goalkeepers.
This means that coach Julian Nagelsmann has to look for new players for this position. One of the candidates was Bernd Leno, who usually plays for English Fulham. The goalkeeper did not attend this year's European Championships because he had health problems. It seemed that this player would now be one of the candidates to replace ter Stegen and become number one in the German goal. All the more so because he is experienced, he is 32 years old, he played for the national team nine times and he participated in two major tournaments: the European Championships in 2016 and 2020.
Unexpectedly, however, Leno will not come to the national team's training camp. He gave up this opportunity himself. – His lack of nomination caused great surprise – writes “Bild”. Leno revealed to German journalists that he had talked to Nagelsmann and goalkeeper coach Andreas Kronenberg.
– We talked on the phone because we have honest and open relations. They told me I would be in the national team, but I wouldn't play. That's why I decided to train in London. Julian knows I'm always there when they need me and I can really help the team. I'm not a novice. I am 32 years old and I have never made any claims for Manuel and Marek. After all my matches in the Bundesliga, Premier League and internationally, Julian and Andreas know what they have in me. And playing for the national team will always be an honor and my main goal, Leno told Bild.
Leno's absence in the squad was criticized by Fredi Bobić, a former German representative.
– I completely miss Leno in the squad. I don't understand why it's not there. It will be difficult for us to find a world-class number one after goalkeepers such as Neuer or ter Stegen. The goalkeepers who are in the squad now do not convince me at all, said Bobić.
The following players will compete for a place between the posts: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart) and Janis Blaswich (Red Bull Salzburg).