The manager of the German national team, Oliver Bierhoff, suggested on Wednesday that a return to the team by central defender Mats Hummels is not ruled out, contradicting the words of coach Joachim Low.
"The communication created the impression that it was a definitive exclusion from the national team, but I have always said that we have not retired anyone," said Bierhoff on German television.
After the debacle of the World Cup in Russia, Low took drastic measures and removed key players from the team that won the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, including central defenders Jerome Boateng and Hummels, who were prevented from playing for the national team at only 30 years old, like Thomas Muller, all of them then at Bayern Munich.
Among the starters from 2014, only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos continue to have the confidence of the coach.
Hummels, who took the news very badly, shines with his new team, Borussia Dortmund.
Niklas Süle, from Bayern Munich, was expected to be a strong man in the German defense in Euro 2020, but he has just torn his cruciate ligament in a knee.
Bierhoff justified Low's decision to stop counting on three key players: "At that time, I found it very clear, especially for players like Niklas Süle and others, to say 'I no longer count on you, we have other projects and we do not want to have to talk about this for months'. But in football, you can never say never again." (AFP)