Goalkeeper Atubolu snubbed by Germany after rejecting Nigeria

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has left out Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu from his 23-man squad for the UEFA Nations League, despite the player’s impressive performance in the German Bundesliga.

Atubolu, 22, had expressed his desire to play for Germany, rather than Nigeria, after setting a new club record of 576 minutes without conceding a goal.

“I really want to get the chance to play for the German senior national team,” Atubolu said. “I have played for the national team in various age groups.”

However, despite first-choice goalie Manuel Neuer not being fit, Manager Manuel Nagelsmann opted for Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nübel, and Stefan Ortega instead, snubbing Atubolu.

Born to a German mother and Nigerian father, Atubolu is eligible to play for both Germany and Nigeria.

However, it appears that the Nigeria Football Federation has also moved on from him, as he was not listed in coach Eric Chelle’s squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Atubolu’s impressive form has seen him keep 10 clean sheets in 25 games this season, setting a new club record in the process.

The German squad

The squad led by coach Julian Nagelsmann, features a mix of experienced players and newcomers.

In goal, Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart), and Stefan Ortega (Manchester City) will compete for the starting spot.

The defensive lineup includes Yann Aurel Bisseck (Inter Milan), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstadt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), and Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen).

In midfield, Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05), Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Borussia Dortmund), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), and Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart) will provide support.

Upfront, Jonathan Burkardt (Mainz 05), Tim Kleindienst (Borussia Monchengladbach), and Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) will lead the attack.

Notable absentees include Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Niclas Fullkrug, Benjamin Henrichs, and Aleksandar Pavlovic, who are all currently sidelined through injury or illness.

Germany will face Italy in the quarter-finals of the Nations League, with the first leg taking place on March 20 in Milan and the second leg on March 23 in Dortmund.

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