Surprises in Germany's Euro 2008 Team

Germany coach Joachim Loew has named the provisional 26-man squad for the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland in June. Two uncapped players were named and a 19-year-old midfielder.

Uncapped teenage winger Marko Marin, from second-division Borussia Moenchengladbach, is the shock inclusion in Germany's extended 26-man squad for next month's Euro 2008 tournament.

The 19-year-old, who has starred for Germany's Under-21 side, has been included in the preliminary senior squad by Loew for next month's tournament in Austria and Switzerland from June 7 to 29.


There was also a surprise call-up for Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler at the expense of Germany's reserve keeper Timo Hildebrand, 29, who had been a member of the German 2006 World Cup squad. Hildebrand moved to Spain's Valencia from VfB Stuttgart before the season and was regarded as an understudy to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

Germany are in Group B and play Poland on June 8, Croatia on June 12 and co-hosts Austria on June 16.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal/ENG), Robert Enke (Hanover 96), Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen)



Defenders: Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid/ESP), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04)



Midfield: Michael Ballack (Chelsea/ENG), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), David Odonkor (Real Betis/ESP), Marko Marin (Borussia Moenchengladbach)



Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04), Patrick Helmes (Cologne), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Source: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3341269,00.html