Pascal Groß Reflects on Germany's Euro Disappointment and His Brighton Success

Pascal Groß watched the decisive drama from the touchline. Julian Nagelsmann never called his name.

Germany’s European Championship campaign ended in a penalty shoot-out, the quarter-final locked at 1-1 after 120 exhausting minutes. When the five designated takers were done, the chaos began. TV cameras caught Joshua Kimmich desperately scanning the huddle, searching for volunteers as the list ran dry and the pressure rose.

Leon Goretzka shook his head. He did not want one.

So Jonathan Tah stepped forward as Germany’s sixth taker. A defender, not a natural from the spot, but willing. He smashed his effort over – the first missed penalty of his professional career – and the DFB team crashed out.

Groß, watching on, knew he could have been part of that moment.

“I was prepared for this scenario, but I don't want to rake it over now,” he told kicker when asked about his potential role in the shoot-out. The discussion ended there. No debrief, no blame, no long post-mortem with Nagelsmann.

“No, there was no conversation. It hurt him enormously too, of course, everyone was devastated,” Groß said.

The disappointment bled into the next chapter of his international career – or rather, the lack of one.

At the World Cup in North America, Groß barely featured. He came off the bench for just 17 minutes in the group match against Ecuador, a brief cameo in a tournament that never really opened up for him. When Jürgen Klopp took over as national team coach, Groß’s name disappeared from the squad list.

Given his age – 35 – it was hardly a shock. The midfielder had not formally announced his retirement from the DFB side, but the writing was on the wall.

“After the World Cup, with a bit of distance, I had already decided that the matter was over for me,” he admitted. There was no dramatic phone call, no emotional farewell summit with Klopp. “I did not have a conversation with the head coach. For me, not being nominated is not a problem.”

If that sounds like closure, his form for Brighton tells a different story about his level.

Groß has 19 caps and one goal for Germany, a modest international return. For his club, he is anything but modest right now. Brighton have surged into the new Premier League season, heading into the international break in third place, and their metronome in midfield has been at the heart of it.

In five league matches, Groß has produced three goals and four assists – outstanding numbers for a player who often starts deeper, dictates rhythm, and stitches moves together rather than simply finishing them.

For Germany, his chapter seems closed. For Brighton, it feels like he is writing some of the best pages of his career.