Germany picks experienced squad for Euro 2025 but leaves out two critics

RUST, Germany (AP) — Germany has retained 11 players who reached the 2022 Women’s European Championship final for Euro 2025. There’s no place for two prominent critics of coach Christian Wück.

The 23-player squad announced on Thursday is captained by Bayern Munich’s Giulia Gwinn, one of the returning players from the team which lost to England in the 2022 final.

North Carolina Courage defender Felicitas Rauch and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Nicole Anyomi were in the 2022 squad but aren’t this time.

Both have previously criticized Wück for what they called a lack of communication around his decision not to pick them for earlier squads. Rauch was among 12 players included in a reserve list on Thursday.

The 20-year-old forward Cora Zicai is considered one of Germany’s brightest young players after scoring two goals in her three national team games.

Germany starts its Euro 2025 campaign in Switzerland on July 4 with a group game against Poland followed by Denmark on July 8 and Sweden on July 12.

Since the last Euros, Germany suffered its worst ever World Cup result in 2023 with elimination in the group stage, but rebounded to win the bronze medal at last year’s Paris Olympics.

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