Joachim Löw has named the 27 players who will travel with the German national soccer team to training camp ahead of the European Championship, which starts next month in Poland and Ukraine.

With just over a month to go until Germany’s debut at the Euro 2012 on June 9 against Portugal in Lviv, Ukraine, head coach Joachim Löw announced the 27 men that will initially make the trip to the team’s training camp, which gets underway on Friday in Sardinia.

The final squad that actually makes the trip to the Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine will have 23 players. That list of names has to be submitted by May 29.…

Bayer Leverkusen’s second choice goalkeeper Rene Adler is still positive of getting a spot on the German team for Euro 2012 despite the lack of playing time.

The 27-year-old lost his spot in the starting eleven at Leverkusen to 20-year-old Bernd Leno, but he is still hopeful of making the Joachim Löw’s Germany squad due to his past experiences with the national team.

“I’m still in contact with coach Joachim Löw,” Adler told Bild. “He always gives me the impression that I can rejoin the national team when the time is right.…

UEFA president Michel Platini has said Germany are the best team in Europe at the moment and one of the favourites to win this summer’s UEFA EURO 2012, ahead of their friendly with France on Wednesday.

“Germany currently has the best team in Europe, they are very young and very creative,” the Frenchman told German daily Die Welt on Sunday. “They didn’t lose any of their European Championship qualification matches. They are the big favourites to win the championships alongside Spain.”…

Germany coach Joachim Löw says his team will have no fear when they start their Euro 2012 campaign against Portugal, having also drawn Denmark and World Cup finalists Holland in Group B.

Germany were the first team to book their Euro 2012 place, winning all 10 of their qualification matches.

They face Portugal in Lviv on Saturday June 9, Holland in Kharkiv on Wednesday June 13, then finish against Denmark in Lviv again, on Sunday June 17.…

The German Football Association has increased its win bonus for the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine next year. Each player will get €300,000 should Germany carry home the title.

That is the most that has ever been offered to the national team players for winning the biggest European competition, matching the reward the players would have taken home if they’d won the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and a nice chunk more than the €250,000 they would have received if they had won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.…

Germany completed a perfect EURO 2012 qualifying campaign with their tenth win from ten games by beating Belgium 3-1 in Dusseldorf.

Two goals in the space of three first-half minutes from Mesut Ozil and Andre Schurrle put the hosts on course for yet another victory, with Mario Gomez adding a third just after the interval. Marouane Fellaini grabbed a consolation in the 86th minute but it was not enough for Belgium to finish second in Group A.…

Germany coach Joachim Loew has excused midfielder Mario Goetze for the final European Championship qualifier against Belgium on Tuesday.

“Goetze had a lot of games last season and has a lot coming up (for Borussia Dortmund) so we simply decided to give him a bit of a rest,” Loew’s assistant Hansi Flick said Sunday.

Germany tops Group A and has already qualified for next year’s tournament with nine wins from nine games. …

Germany cruised to a 3-1 win over Turkey in their Euro 2012 qualifier in Istanbul on Friday night – their ninth-straight win in an impressive group-stage performance.

The Germans had already qualified for the next edition of the Euros, to be hosted by Ukraine and Poland, while Turkey were in desperate need of points to get the edge over their nearest Group A opponents, Belgium.

Bayern Munich trio Mario Gomez, Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger all netted in the win over Turkey.

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