bavarian foot works 
07-03-2024 17:01
07-03-2024 17:01
Serbia make a move for Bayern Munich star Aleksandar Pavlović after Julian Nagelsmann snubs the youngster
After his superb performance against Lazio in the Champions League Round of 16, Bayern Munich youngster Aleksandar Pavlović has caught the eye of the footballing world. An excellent midfield talent, the youngster is already being hailed as the successor to Thiago Alcântara in the Bayern midfield. For Germany, it seems that another top level talent has finally broken through.
This is not enough, apparently, for Julian Nagelsmann — who has no plans to call up Pavlović for the upcoming international break in March. While Germany have plenty of midfield options for the moment, the country has had to beg Toni Kroos to come out of international retirement in order to improve the prospects for Euro 2024. Why couldn’t Pavlović, therefore, get a callup?
This move has not gone unnoticed by the one other country the 19-year-old could represent at the international level — Serbia. The Serbians apparently sent a delegation to Munich to speak with the midfielder, who still has the option to change his international affiliation.
A delegation from the Serbian association led by national team director Stevan Stojanović was in Munich last weekend to speak to Aleksandar Pavlović and his parents Stojanović: "The conversation was mutually constructive and direct. There's no doubt that we see him in the senior… pic.twitter.com/xQT21f6ZeG — Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) March 6, 2024
A delegation from the Serbian association led by national team director Stevan Stojanović was in Munich last weekend to speak to Aleksandar Pavlović and his parents
Stojanović: “The conversation was mutually constructive and direct. There’s no doubt that we see him in the senior team, and that the plan was to call him up for the games in March. We were told that Aleksandar doesn’t want to make a final decision at the moment, not before the end of the Euros in Germany. We understand that. We will continue to monitor him and keep in touch. In the end we’ll see how the epilogue ends. We wish Aleksandar much success for the rest of the season with the hope that he will wear the Serbian jersey from autumn.”
Could Germany really be at risk of losing a prime talent like Pavlović? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened. Another Bayern player, Josip Stanišić, was captured by Croatia despite being eligible to play for Germany at the time. Former Bayern youth player Kenan Yildiz (who currently plies his trade for Juventus and Turkey) was also allowed to slip through the cracks.
Aside from turning Jamal Musiala away from England, Germany have done a poor job of attracting and keeping dual-national talent in the national team. With Pavlović putting in performances at the top level for Bayern Munich already, it seems like calling him up as soon as possible would be a no-brainer, if only to get him comfortable with the setup.
What is Germany waiting for?
This is not enough, apparently, for Julian Nagelsmann — who has no plans to call up Pavlović for the upcoming international break in March. While Germany have plenty of midfield options for the moment, the country has had to beg Toni Kroos to come out of international retirement in order to improve the prospects for Euro 2024. Why couldn’t Pavlović, therefore, get a callup?
This move has not gone unnoticed by the one other country the 19-year-old could represent at the international level — Serbia. The Serbians apparently sent a delegation to Munich to speak with the midfielder, who still has the option to change his international affiliation.
A delegation from the Serbian association led by national team director Stevan Stojanović was in Munich last weekend to speak to Aleksandar Pavlović and his parents Stojanović: "The conversation was mutually constructive and direct. There's no doubt that we see him in the senior… pic.twitter.com/xQT21f6ZeG — Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) March 6, 2024
A delegation from the Serbian association led by national team director Stevan Stojanović was in Munich last weekend to speak to Aleksandar Pavlović and his parents
Stojanović: “The conversation was mutually constructive and direct. There’s no doubt that we see him in the senior team, and that the plan was to call him up for the games in March. We were told that Aleksandar doesn’t want to make a final decision at the moment, not before the end of the Euros in Germany. We understand that. We will continue to monitor him and keep in touch. In the end we’ll see how the epilogue ends. We wish Aleksandar much success for the rest of the season with the hope that he will wear the Serbian jersey from autumn.”
Could Germany really be at risk of losing a prime talent like Pavlović? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened. Another Bayern player, Josip Stanišić, was captured by Croatia despite being eligible to play for Germany at the time. Former Bayern youth player Kenan Yildiz (who currently plies his trade for Juventus and Turkey) was also allowed to slip through the cracks.
Aside from turning Jamal Musiala away from England, Germany have done a poor job of attracting and keeping dual-national talent in the national team. With Pavlović putting in performances at the top level for Bayern Munich already, it seems like calling him up as soon as possible would be a no-brainer, if only to get him comfortable with the setup.
What is Germany waiting for?