Malta Independent

German teams' success in Champions League disrupting Germany's Euro 2024 preparatio­ns

Germany's European Champi‐ onship preparatio­ns are being disrupted by German teams' suc‐ cess in the Champions League.

The Champions League final could see old rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich meet for a repeat of the 2013 de‐ cider – 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‐Ger‐ main on Tuesday.

Bayern's team includes Ger‐ many 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 Ju‐ lian Brandt could tempt Nagels‐ mann into recalling them when he names his Euro 2024 squad on May 16.

Germany's Euro 2024 prepara‐ tions will continue in Herzoge‐ naurach, 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 Scot‐ land in Munich on June 14. It then plays Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19 and Switzerlan­d in Frankfurt on June 23.