England pro hype: ‘It’s a real shame for me’

FProfessional footballer Ben White from Premier League leaders Arsenal is currently unwilling to play for the England national team. “This is extremely unfortunate for me. “He’s a player I really like,” England manager Gareth Southgate said after announcing his 25-player squad for the upcoming internationals against Brazil and Belgium.

“We got a call from Edu (Arsenal technical director and editor) last week to say that Ben doesn’t want to be considered for England at this stage,” Southgate said. He doesn’t know “why this is so, but I have to respect it.”

White, who extended his contract with the Gunners until the summer of 2028 on Thursday, finished runners-up at the 2021 European Championships with the Three Lions. The defender was also part of the team for the 2022 World Cup, but left the camp before the start of the tournament for personal reasons.

Southgate denied it was due to a dispute with assistant manager Steve Holland: “There are no problems between us at all and there have never been problems with Steve Holland. It’s been mentioned in articles and I don’t like it.” He is “keeping the door open” for White with an eye on the European Championship.

Tournament director of this year’s European Football Championship in Germany, Philipp Lahm, wants the German national team to deliver an inspiring performance at the upcoming European Championships at home, even more than ultimate success. “It is important for the population that the team is in the tournament for a long time, but also that they play for the nation again and that there is a team on the field that really gives it their all and plays with passion,” the 2014 World Cup said. Champion of the European Championship-Media Tour in Dusseldorf, his expectations from the national team of coach Julian Nagelsmann.

For Lahm, regardless of the results of the international matches in France (March 23) and against the Netherlands (March 26), the change initiated by the hosts of the European Championship in Germany through the nomination three months before the start of the tournament is only the first step: in the last tournament – Disappointments ” I didn’t have enough passion for it. What’s more important than winning two games is that you can see who the team is, who the core is. Julian Nagelsmann must find it. Of course, we hope that the pieces of the puzzle will fit together.”

Note. In an earlier version of this story, England manager Gareth Southgate said the absence of player Ben White was a “great shame”. However, this was due to an inaccurate translation. The relevant passage has now been modified.