BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s European Championship preparations are being disrupted by German teams’ success in the Champions League.
The Champions League final could see old rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich meet for a repeat of the 2013 decider – if Bayern beats Real Madrid in the second leg of their semifinal on Wednesday.
Even a Bayern defeat would leave Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann without Madrid players Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger for his team’s Euro 2024 training camp from May 26-31 in Blankenhain, central Germany.
The Champions League final takes place in London on June 1, meaning any Germany players involved will need to skip those Euro 2024 preparations.
Dortmund reached the final with a 1-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Bayern’s team includes Germany internationals Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané.
Of Dortmund’s players, only Niclas Füllkrug was called up for the warmup wins over France and the Netherlands in March, but impressive performances from Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can and Julian Brandt could tempt Nagelsmann into recalling them when he names his Euro 2024 squad on May 16.
Germany’s Euro 2024 preparations will continue in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria from June 1. The team plays Ukraine in a friendly in Nuremberg on June 3, four days before it faces Greece for its final tournament tune-up in Mönchengladbach.
Any Champions League final participants will only join the rest of the squad before the Greece game.
Tournament host Germany opens Euro 2024 against Scotland in Munich on June 14. It then plays Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19 and Switzerland in Frankfurt on June 23.
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The Associated Press
