As of: April 6, 2024, 8:51 a.m
By: Christoph Klaucke
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There are big changes to the EM 2024 scrapbook. Due to the license change from Panini to Topps, many stars are missing. The fans are beside themselves.
Munich – The start of the new scrapbook with the popular footballer stickers was actually intended to arouse anticipation for the 2024 European Championship. But the opposite is the case. The fans are frustrated.
EM scrapbook without Kroos, Neuer and Wirtz, but with Kahn, Schweinsteiger and Matthäus
No Manuel Neuer, no Toni Kroos and no Kylian Mbappé either: the collectors of the European Championship stickers have to do without some prominent kickers. So-called “legends” are available as “replacements” for one or the other star. This leads to a strange situation in the German European Championship squad.
Because the manufacturer Topps, which had taken over the license from Panini, did not have the image rights to professionals like Neuer, Kroos or Florian Wirtz, the old internationals Oliver Kahn, Lothar Matthäus and Bastian Schweinsteiger were quickly “substituted”. In addition to those mentioned, the German squad is also missing solid greats such as Antonio Rüdiger, Kai Havertz and Jonathan Tah, as well as substitute goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Kroos' partner in midfield, Robert Andrich.
The new EM collection album is causing frustration among fans. © Miriam Schmidt/dpa
After switching from Panini to Topps: German European Championship squad with some “surprises”
Instead, collectors can stick in pictures of players who no longer play a role under national coach Julian Nagelsmann: These include the eternal World Cup hero Mario Götze, Malick Thiaw and Thilo Kehrer. Borussia Dortmund, represented only by Niclas Füllkrug in the most recent international squad, is represented by six professionals.
All previously qualified teams each have a double page with 18 player portraits. There is also the captain and an “artist” with their own sticker as well as a “star player”, a “player to watch” and two “top 11 players” on a group overview page. The German Topps European Championship squad:
Captain: Ilkay Gündogan
Artist: Julian Brandt
Thilo Kehrer, Nico Schlotterbeck, Benjamin Henrichs, Malick Thiaw, Robin Gosens, Niklas Süle, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Mario Götze, Emre Can, Timo Werner, Leroy Sane, Thomas Müller, Niclas Füllkrug, Karim Adeyemi
Legends: Oliver Kahn, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lothar Matthäus
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Other nations are also missing top stars. France has to do without Mbappé, probably the most prominent European footballer, at Topps. England's attacking stars Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are missing.
“Complete catastrophe”: Fans rage about the new EM collection album
In addition, due to the lack of licenses for top (ps) teams such as Germany, France, England or Italy, neither the usual association logos nor the respective players can be seen in the national jersey - much to the annoyance of fans and collectors. We have summarized some of the reactions at X, formerly Twitter:
“I loved throwing my money out the window on Panini magazines every two years. Unfortunately, what Topps is bringing out for this year’s European Championship sounds like a complete disaster.”
“Panini to Topps is a bigger scandal than Adidas to Nike. Topps is such a rubbish club.”
“With Panini sticker albums, a piece of your childhood is lost.”
“The stickers for Euro 2024 will be released next week. Topps stickers are simply typically American and artificially overloaded, plus the licenses for Germany, Italy, England and France are missing. A simple Panini album for the home European Championships in 2024 is all I want.”
“I pre-ordered the Topps stickers for the European Championship, a tradition before every major tournament. Unfortunately, all fears have probably been confirmed and Topps does Topps things. This won't be a pretty book. Hopefully Panini will get the rights back as soon as possible!”
The stickers have been on sale since Thursday, and 728 pictures have to be pasted into each album. A bag with six stickers costs one euro.
The EM 2024 schedule as a PDF download
You can also download and print out the EM 2024 schedule in Germany as a PDF from our library: Download the EM 2024 schedule as a PDF
Curious: Because the last three tournament participants were only determined through the play-offs at the end of March, all other nations that were still represented in the qualification at that time are also there - that's why there are pictures of Luxembourg, Estonia and Israel, among others. By the way, there was also an uproar for other reasons. At that time it was about the Panini sticker album for the 2022 World Cup: Why was Germany's great hope missing from the magazine?
(ck/sid)