One month before the start of Euro 2024, the main candidates for the title are going through different moments, from world runner-up France, irregular in the March friendlies, to hosts Germany, which had a notable improvement, to the renewed Spain.
France poorly in friendlies
After an impeccable campaign in the Qualifiers, France had an irregular start to 2024: a 2-0 home defeat to Germany and a lackluster 3-2 victory over Chile.
Captain Kylian Mbappé, who has just announced his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, has not shown his best level, but coach Didier Deschamps hopes to get him back for the Euros.
England at the pace of Kane and Bellingham
Finalist in the last edition of the continental tournament, defeated on penalties by Italy at Wembley, England arrives motivated to seek their first title since the 1966 World Cup.
The pillars of the team will be captain Harry Kane, who finished another season without lifting a trophy, in his first year at Bayern Munich, and Jude Bellingham, who at 20 years old became indispensable at Real Madrid and has the possibility of winning the Champions League on June 1st against his former team, Borussia Dortmund.
Coach Gareth Southgate will have to find the right balance for his two strikers to shine in Germany.
Germany, the return of hope
The Euro host team ended 2023 with defeats to Turkey (3-2) and Austria (2-0), but coach Julian Nagelsmann, in charge since September, made decisions in March that yielded results.
Among them, he convinced midfielder Toni Kross to return to the national team, from which he had retired in 2021, after being eliminated at Wembley against England in the round of 16 of the Euro.
The victories over France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1) put the team back on track to relive the fairy tale of the 2006 World Cup, when they finished in third place as hosts and won back the hearts of the fans.
Spain optimistic with De La Fuente
Spain, European champion in 2008 and 2012 and world champion in 2010, is far from being the team that shone during its golden generation with Xavi, Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, among others.
But since falling in the 2022 World Cup (eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco on penalties), they gained momentum with winning the UEFA Nations League last year. Coach Luis De La Fuente rejuvenated the team, which is coming off a friendly defeat to Colombia (1-0).
Italy, the current champion that does not convince
Italy, who suffered until stoppage time in the last qualifying game against Ukraine (0-0) to qualify without going through the play-offs, arrived to defend their European title amidst doubts.
Champion of the ‘pandemic European Championship’ in 2021, but outside the 2022 World Cup, coach Luciano Spalletti’s team, who took over from Roberto Mancini, won their two friendlies in March, against Venezuela and Ecuador.
Portugal and the possible farewell to CR7
The disappointment of being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup by Morocco was absorbed by Portugal, now under the command of coach Roberto Martínez.
The Portuguese team won its ten games in the Qualifiers and has a strong squad, with players who play for big clubs on the continent, except for star Cristiano Ronaldo, who is in Saudi Arabia.
At 39 years old, CR7 dreams of repeating the continental title he won eight years ago in what should be his last participation in the Euros.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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