Number:	21
Date/place of birth:	13.03.1989 in Gradiška/Bosnien-Herzegowina
Height:	1,69 m
Weight:	64 kg
Club:	Werder Bremen
Former clubs:	Borussia Mönchengladbach
Position:	Mittelfeld
Matches Goals W T L Percentage In Out 7 1 4 1 2 57% 6 1

As the countdown to Euro 2008 heats up, we're starting a column here on GFT (German Football Team) that features a national team player each day. Today, we're starting with Marko Marin, a player that was only yesterday taken off the final Euro squad.



Although he will not be taking part in the Euro 2008 tournament, this is definitely not going to be the last time that we'll see the talented 19 year old winger. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marin began his footballing career as a youth player, first with SG 01 Hoechst and then with Eintracht Frankfurt. In 2006, he moved to the youth academy of Borussia Mönchengladbach. After a year in the academy, he signed a 3-year contract with the team, making his professional debut in the Bundesliga late in the 2006/2007 season. He came on as a substitute in a game against Eintracht Frankfurt and crowned his cameo with an assist, which helped Gladbach to a last minute 1-1 draw. He was also called up to the under-21 national squad and made 4 appearances for them.



In a surprising move, coach Joachim Löw included him in the provisional 26-man squad for Euro 2008. Löw had said he only needed to watch Marin play for 10 minutes to make up his mind. Marin earned his first cap for the national team on May 27, 2008 against Belarus, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Although he was eventually cut from the final 23-man squad, Löw said: "(He has a) good chance to be back in the national team after the Euro and play a good role in it."



Marin is known for his outstanding ball handling skills and creativity on the ball. Although he has been playing in the 2nd Bundesliga for the past season, it has not stopped him from putting on a display of his skills on a weekly basis. In the last 13 2nd Bundesliga matches, Marin scored four goals and provided 8 assists.

Here are a few videos of his skills on display, proving his strong potential as a future national team player. We are sure this is only the first of many more times that Marko Marin will be featured on GFT!

Coach Joachim Löw has confirmed his final 23-man squad for EURO 2008 with midfielders Markus Marin and Jermaine Jones and striker Patrick Helmes missing the cut.

The three players came on during the 2nd half of the friendly against Belarus on Tuesday, but failed to impress sufficiently to make the final cut for the team. The team had let slip a 2-goal advantage during the 2nd half of the game to tie 2-2 with Belarus.

The FC Schalke 04 midfielder Jones, the 19-year-old Marin – an attacking midfielder with VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach – and Helmes, who scored 17 goals in 1. FC Köln's promotion-winning campaign, were told of the decision at 11.30 this morning and will leave the training camp later today.

“This was a very tough decision for our entire coaching staff. Each of the three players would have deserved a slot on the team.”, said Löw.

Patrick Helmes said following the decision: "Obviously I'm disappointed - it would have been great to compete at the EURO. Hopefully, I'll get another shot following this summer. Naturally, I keep my fingers crossed that the team does well at the EURO."

Jermaine Jones said: "Playing at the EURO had been my major goal. But I gave it my best shot, so I have no reason to hang my head low. Hopefully, the team does well. It would be great, if we could win the title."

Marko Marin, the youngest member of the 26-player roster, said: "Making this first step has been a great experience. I'm still young and I hope to get another chance in the future."

Germany’s coach Joachim Löw has moved 26 players on a preliminary roster for the UEFA EURO 2008. The team departed for a pre-tournament training camp to be held on the island of Mallorca on Monday.

Until Wednesday, May 28, Löw will have to reduce the roster to 23 players following UEFA regulations. The nomination procedure took place during a unique and breathtaking media event on top of Germany’s highest mountain peak, the 2962 meter high Zugspitze, on Friday.

Team captain Michael Ballack leads the team. Next to him, 14 other players were already a member of the team that had finished in third place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, including goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Miroslav Klose, the 2006 tournament’s leading scorer.

Two debutants made the roster: Leverkusen’s goalkeeper René Adler and the 19-year old Marko Marin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. Two rather new faces on the team will be Schalke’s Heiko Westermann and Jermaine Jones, both were nominated for the game against Austria in early February.

Goalkeeper Robert Enke, defender Clemens Fritz, midfielders Simon Rolfes and Piotr Trochowski and forwards Mario Gomez and Patrick Helmes also made the list. Enke and Adler will back-up goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, while Löw eliminated Valencia’s keeper Timo Hildebrand from the EURO roster.