Mats Hummels, central defender for Borussia Dortmund, admitted that "not going to the Euro is bitter" as he considers himself "one of the top five defenders in Germany."

In an interview with Sport Bild, Hummels described the notification that he wouldn't be attending the tournament, hosted by Germany, as "brief and disappointing." He said, "It wasn't even two minutes. I just had to go to training. At times like this, I don't need a long conversation or a big explanation. That was enough for me."

When asked about the justification given by Julian Nagelsmann, the national team's coach, Hummels said he understood it "correctly," acknowledging that the coach "was also concerned about other things besides accepting a wildcard role" and that "it was more about age-related issues," referring to his 35 years.

Hummels also revealed to Sport Bild that he had already assured Nagelsmann in March of his "willingness to sit on the bench as the fifth central defender at the European Championship," indicating he would not be a problem for the team.

"I can understand the idea of a group growing since March - when Germany defeated France and the Netherlands. If I had had the phase I had before the nomination in March, I could have been there and now be part of the European Championship squad," he said.

Hummels concluded the interview by pointing out that, for a coach, a call-up "is never about nominating the 26 best players," as "the goal of a tournament is always for the players who don't play a minute to be very happy to be there," and that if he were a coach, "he would do the same."