BERLIN: Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff says their preparations for Euro 2016 will be affected if Bayern Munich beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final on May 28.
The world champions start training on May 23 in Ascona, Switzerland, to prepare for the European championships in France, from June 10-July 10.
The Germany squad will meet up two days after the German Cup final in Berlin between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund on May 21.
But should Pep Guardiola's Bayern overcome their 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Tuesday's semi-final return against Atletico, they will reach the Champions League final in Milan on May 28.
That would mean Bayern's Germany stars, such as Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng, Manuel Neuer and Mario Goetze, would only join up with Joachim Loew's team a week after the rest of the Germany squad start their preparations.
"Of course, we hope FC Bayern and it's players go through, the experience is also important for those in the national team," Bierhoff told Kicker.
"But our planning would be made difficult, we have to admit that."
Germany play their first match of Euro 2016 in Lille on June 12 against Ukraine, having also drawn Poland and Northern Ireland in Group C.
A Bayern victory on Tuesday could force a repeat of 2012, when the Bavarians lost the Champions League final in Munich to Chelsea on penalties, which complicated Germany's plans for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.
"Already in 2012, the players arrived in three different groups and that could happen again," said Bierhoff.
"Monday would see the arrival of the first group, those who played in the German Cup final would come a day later and those from the Champions League final would come a good week later."
Even if Bayern fail to reach the Champions League final, midfielder Toni Kroos could still be involved with Real Madrid, who play Manchester City in Wednesday's other semi-final.
Loew, who will celebrate a decade as Germany head coach after Euro 2016, will name his squad for France at the French Embassy on Tuesday May 17 in Berlin.
He will name a squad of up to 28 which will be reduced to 23 on May 30.
Germany's final two friendly matches are planned for May 29 against Slovakia in Augsburg and June 4 against Hungary in Gelsenkirchen.
Comments
Comments are closed.