Four-time world champion and three-time European champion, hosts Germany will open the European Championship this Friday (14) against Scotland, in Munich, in a first step back to football’s elite.
Present in the semi-finals of all major tournaments between 2006 and 2016, the ‘Mannschaft’ is experiencing an unprecedented low in its history, falling in the group stage of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and in the round of 16 of the last Euro, in 2021.
A rare crisis that reached its peak in September 2023, with the dismissal of coach Hansi Flick, something the German Football Association (DFB) had never done before.
The arrival of Julian Nagelsmann at the end of September gave hope back to Germany, who had the return of midfielder Toni Kroos to play his last tournament before hanging up his boots.
Ramping up the preparations 📈#DFB #GermanFootball #GermanMNT #EURO2024
📸 DFB/ Philipp Reinhard pic.twitter.com/uP1KjKukfX
— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 13, 2024
With the Euros getting closer and closer, Nagelsmann started talking about the still distant dream of lifting the continental title.
“We should dream and then reflect on what it means to reach the final and even win it”, explained the coach at a press conference during the preparation for the tournament.
Scotland with ‘army’ of fans
The first challenge will be against Scotland, a game that the ‘Mannschaft’ wants to use as a starting point for a new fairy tale, like the one the country experienced in the 2006 World Cup, in which Germany was also host and reached the semi-final.
“It could be the beginning”, said Thomas Müller, one of the three remaining players from the team that won the 2014 World Cup, alongside Kroos and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
“It can encourage us for the rest of the tournament. The responsibility is on our shoulders”, declared captain Ilkay Gündogan. In 2006, a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica in the opening game gave new encouragement to coach Jügen Klinsmann’s players for the World Cup run.
Even though a victory on their debut doesn’t guarantee anything, Germany won their first game every time they were world champions (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014) and the Euros (1972, 1980 and 1996).
This time, the opponent will have a different caliber. Scotland does not have a reputation as a great European team and has never reached the group stage of the European Championship or the World Cup.
But led by captain Andrew Robertson, the Scots shone in the 2023 Qualifiers, beating Erling Haaland’s Norway (2-1 away from home) and Spain (2-0), one of the title contenders.
After a more unstable final stretch of the Qualifiers and a series of unexciting friendlies (a draw with Finland and a hard-fought victory over Gibraltar), Scotland will have to rely on the ‘Tartan Army’, as their fans are known.
Up to 200,000 Scottish fans are expected to flood German streets throughout the tournament from the country of 2.5 million people.
On the eve of the opening game, 40,000 Scots are already present in Berlin, according to local police.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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