Joachim Loew proved more courageous than even his predecessor Juergen Klinsmann and produced some real surprises when nominating the German squad for the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008. Loew chose Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler rather than Timo Hildebrand (Valencia), plus Marko Marin and Oliver Neuville, from the Bundesliga’s newly promoted Moenchengladbach, and Cologne’s Patrick Helmes for the squad for the European finals in Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the 48-year-old named 26 instead of the needed 23 professionals for the training camp in Majorca. Thus Loew has to delete three players by May 28, the official entry deadline date designated by the European Football Association, UEFA.

Jermaine Jones (Schalke) and David Odonkor (Betis Seville), Klinsmann’s surprise debutant for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, retain their places in Loew’s selection.

Loew and his coaching staff announced their squad at the “Panoramalounge 2962” on the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. Adler (German for eagle) literally flew to the top at the last moment. Since his Bundesliga debut with Bayer Leverkusen in 2007, the goalkeeper has been in impressive form but has not yet played an international match. It was certainly a surprise that 19-year-old offensive player Marko Marin was included. Born in Romania, the dribbler grew up in Hesse and also is uncapped. He and club team-mate Neuville, along with Helmes, are the only second division players among the elite.

“May 28 is the end for our casting”, Loew said. After the last but one international friendly against Belarus in Kaiserslautern on May 27 (the players will leave Majorca for 36 hours), as part of their preparations for the European finals, the team will be reduced to 23 players. Only the final squad will return to the holiday island, before leaving again for a further UEFA European Football Championship™ rehearsal against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on May 31. The goalkeeping trio of Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Adler and Roland Enke (Hanover), as well as seven defenders, Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Per Mertesacker, Clemens Fritz (both Bremen), Philipp Lahm, Marcell Jansen (both FC Bayern Munich), Arne Friedrich (Berlin) and Heiko Westermann (Schalke) can reasonably expect to participate at the Euros, which will begin for the DFB selection on June 8.

In addition to regular fixtures in midfield, Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Leverkusen), Torsten Frings (Bremen) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Loew nominated another five possibles -- Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Tim Borowski (Bremen), Jones (so far just nine international minutes against Switzerland), Odonkor and Marin – of whom only three could be needed. Attackers Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski (both Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart) and Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke) can feel safe, while Neuville and Helmes will battle it out for the fifth free place. “We want to exploit all our resources. And in addition we also want a competitive fight. We must remember there could be injuries”, was Loew’s reasoning for nominating the larger squad. Loew turned a deaf ear to advice from Franz Beckenbauer, the former team manager of the German Football Association, DFB, who advised against such a move as his task of ditching players prior to the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups™ had been his worst moments as a coach.

Loew is not afraid of the unpopular task of sending three players home from Kaiserlautern the week after next. “It doesn’t matter to the players whether they are told today or in 10 days”, Loew said, adding that it wasn’t an easy task telling players they were not included at all. Hildebrand, Manuel Friedrich, Gonzalo Castro, Stefan Kiessling (all Leverkusen), Roberto Hilbert (Stuttgart), Christian Pander (Schalke) and Mike Hanke (Hanover) were not exactly delighted when they heard the news from Germany’s snow-covered peak.

Hildebrand, who had been in the squad since 2004 and was regarded as crown prince to Lehmann, was informed by Koepke in Valencia. “It was very upsetting for me. And for Timo as well”, the goalkeeping coach said. “I’m surprised, shocked and also irritated”, Hildebrand hit back via his internet site. “Of course I have to accept this decision. But I can’t understand, or even comprehend it. I’ll need a while to recover from this setback”. Koepke, who preferred 31-year-old Enke, with just one cap, to the former Stuttgart goalkeeper, disclosed that nobody knows how the seven-time international’s career with the national team will now turn out.

After the UEFA European Football Championship™ 2008, at which the DFB team will meet Poland, Croatia and Austria in Group B, the generation change will possibly continue, for instance with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (Schalke). The nomination of Marin, the 1.69m small dribbler, is already an indicator to the future. “For him it’s like diving into ice cold water. With his height he is a little chick”, Loew said. Jos Luhukay, Moenchengladbach’s trainer, suggested the nomination had come too early. But at the “Mountain Tour”, as the European finals in the Alpine countries are called internally within the DFB, it could rise steeply. The 1976 Olympic skiing champion Rosi Mittermaier capped it all off: “The European Championship should not be just a mountain tour for our team, but a rush to the peak”.