What if Germany bet on Aleksandar Pavlović?

While the main giants have made their comebacks, Germany is preparing, in turn, to return to competition. A few months after failing in the quest for the Holy Grail on home soil – eliminated at the gates of the last four by Spain, crowned in the final of Euro 2024 – the Nationalmannschaft will try to throw this disappointment into oblivion and get its head back on track during this international window in September, conducive to the running of the Nations League. To do this, the team led by Julian Nagelsmann will face Hungary in Düsseldorf (this Saturday, 8:45 p.m.) before heading to Amsterdam and the Johan Cruijff Arena to challenge the Netherlands. However, in the context of these two matches, the former Bayern Munich coach will be forced to make some adjustments to his squad.

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Because yes, a chapter in the history of German football has indeed closed after the European Championship as several big names in the national team have decided to hang up their boots for good or put an end to their international adventure. While Toni Kroos’ retirement from the sport was confirmed last spring, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller and Ilkay Gündogan have each taken their leave. The eternal number 2 for over a decade, Marc-André Ter Stegen has thus been propelled to the rank of starting goalkeeper. But for the rest, many places remain vacant, particularly in midfield. Don’t panic! Germany is full of talent in this area of ​​the game and some rising stars of German football could take advantage of this situation to make their way there, like Aleksandar Pavlović.

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Aleksandar Pavlović, future star of the German midfield?

A pure product of the Bayern Munich training center and still unknown to the general public almost a year ago, the German-Serbian midfielder has climbed the ranks at high speed. Thrown into the deep end by Thomas Tuchel one evening on October 28, 2023 and a river success for the Bavarian team over promoted Darmstadt, Aleksandar Pavlović has never left the first team since. And for good reason, the Munich native took part in 19 Bundesliga matches last year, eclipsing experienced players such as Leon Goretzka from the starting eleven on some occasions. Embodying the new face of the Bavarian team and extended by the Rekordmeister until June 2029, the 20-year-old nugget saw his name appear on Julian Nagelsmann’s list to participate in Euro 2024 in Germany.

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However, fate decided otherwise for Aleksandar Pavlović. Suffering from tonsillitis, the Bayern Munich midfielder was forced to withdraw from the entire tournament. Back in the German squad and seeking revenge after this missed opportunity, the Bavarian feels ready to take a step forward in the national team. When such important players retire, it will take some time for a new hierarchy to form. The next few games are particularly suited for this. “, expressed the German international (1 selection) while discussing the retirements of his elders in a press conference before adding: ” I like to have the ball and help shape the game in a certain way. Here too, everything else will be decided by the national coach. In the medium term, of course, my goal is to be an integral part of the team. “The message has been received, it is up to him to justify his coach’s confidence…