It is said that in recent years BVB has tried to become the “Borussia Deutschland” through selective transfers of current or future DFB national team players and thus improve its position. However, almost seven months before the start of the Euro Cup at home, the Dortmund national team project was not well received by the national coach.
Julian Nagelsmann nominated five BVB stars for the upcoming matches against Turkey and Austria, of which only four traveled to the DFB entourage following the cancellation of Felix Nmecha due to injury: Mats Hummels, Niklas Süle, Julian Brandt and Niclas Füllkrug.
In addition to Nmecha, six other German Borussia professionals with international experience were not in the DFB squad, partly due to injuries, but also for fitness reasons.
A closer look at the eleven candidates reveals that the black and yellow plan for the national team has barely worked so far.
Mats Hummels (34, defense, 77 caps): The veteran with an on-again, off-again relationship with the DFB enjoys the trust of Julian Nagelsmann and a place in the team for the local Euro Cup is within reach. If he stays fit, Hummels’ chances in the starting lineup aren’t bad either.
Nico Schlotterbeck (23 years old, defender, eleven caps): Too unstable. The lack of focus at the club cost the left-footer, who has so far failed to impress even in the DFB uniform, his second consecutive nomination. Schlotterbeck will probably soon be able to book a holiday for the Euro summer.
Niklas Süle (28, defender, 49 caps): Nagelsmann knows the mercurial defensive colossus well from their time together at Hoffenheim and Munich. At BVB, however, Süle recently moved from the starting lineup to the bench. If he were part of the European Championship team, he would probably be an emergency reinforcement for the side.
Marius Wolf (28 years old, defender, five international caps): The all-rounder made his debut in the A team only in March. Despite all the effort, his tactical and technical weaknesses are evident. Edin Terzic also did not rely much on the weak Wolf in the last matches. It’s hard to imagine Nagelsmann changing course soon after leaving the game twice.
Emre Can (29, midfielder, 43 international matches): His time as a substitute for the national team ended in the spring, when, after a great series in Dortmund, he was suddenly included in the DFB starting eleven. After parting ways with national coach Hansi Flick, Can is missing an important defender. The fact that he will now miss his second consecutive international match with an injury does not help his Euro hopes. But even if he were nominated for the local tournament, he would probably only be as a substitute.
Felix Nmecha (23, midfielder, one cap): His surprisingly expensive move to Dortmund was met with much skepticism among fans. Despite some positive points, Nmecha has not yet been able to completely convince the skeptics. Nagelsmann still wanted to try him out for the DFB team, but then hip problems arose. Will it ultimately be enough for the Euro Cup? Quite questionable.
Julian Brandt (27, midfielder, 45 caps): One of BVB’s few relatively consistent players, he already has six goals and five assists in 16 appearances this season. Brandt will almost certainly be part of the German team at the European Championships in his own country, but he does not see a permanent place in sight.
Marco Reus (34, midfielder/attack, 48 international matches): The BVB veteran recently highlighted in an interview that he is not done with the national team yet. However, his last mission was two years ago. Reus’ performances in recent weeks have been solid, neither more nor less. Nagelsmann will probably rely on younger players at the European Championship.
Karim Adeyemi (21, attack, four internationals): Borussia’s big problem. Adeyemi has completely lost his brilliant form from the last second half of the season and is now just a noble prankster with Terzic. His results in 2023/2024: 13 appearances, zero goals, two assists. The fact that, according to one report, he had no desire to travel to the German U21 team fits into an increasingly neglected picture. Nagelsmann is said to be upset by this and his chances of winning the European Championship are rapidly diminishing.
Niclas Füllkrug (30, attack, eleven caps): Due to lack of competition, the BVB newcomer is in the national team and his quota so far is good. However, the nine man still has trouble adjusting to his new employer. However, Füllkrug has the best prospects for a regular place in the European Championship of all the German Dortmund professionals.
Youssoufa Moukoko (18, attack, two internationals): The hype surrounding the teenager has calmed down a bit: Moukoko is now back in the German under-21 team after his surprising participation in the World Cup in Qatar. At BVB the attacker is only the second or third option and the next step in development has been a long time coming. He will probably spend some time before the next test in the senior team.
In total, only three black and yellow DFB candidates (Hummels, Brandt, Füllkrug) have a ticket for the Euro Cup in sight, the rest are trembling or have almost no chance. At the moment, BVB’s plan for a “Borussia Germany” does not seem to work.
Heiko Lütkehus