Germany purpose to regain previous lustre below new coach Julian Nagelsmann for Euro 2024 | EUROtoday

Issued on: 14/06/2024 – 07:35

3 min

“I have the feeling that we can win. And most of the time, my intuition is not too bad,” says Julian Nagelsmann, the Germany coach, who publicly shows nice confidence forward of the beginning of Euro 2024, which kicks off on Friday, June 14.

Given its stellar observe report in main competitions, the calibre of gamers chosen and the benefit of internet hosting the competitors, Germany are logically among the many favourites alongside France and England.

But even when it has received 4 World Cups and three European Championships, the Mannschaft has been unable to win the Euro since 1996 – an eternity for this large of soccer.

Germany stopped successful

Since successful the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, the Germans have been within the doldrums, woefully eradicated within the group levels of the final two World Cups (2018, 2022), and knocked out by England within the spherical of 16 of the earlier Euro, in 2021.

So German followers are eagerly anticipating this European Championship on dwelling floor, particularly given a gaggle stage that appears fairly manageable: Scotland within the opening match, adopted by Hungary and Switzerland.

Nagelsmann, 36, who changed Hansi Flick final fall on the head of a Mannschaft in disaster, has motive to be assured. He has proven that his gamers are able to the easiest, beating such excessive profile opponents as France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1) in two friendlies in March.

A former Bayern Munich coach, Nagelsmann is understood for his powers of persuasion: he succeeded in coaxing Toni Kroos, a six-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid and arguably the most effective German participant of the final decade, out of worldwide retirement for Euro 2024.

He has additionally proven he’s keen to make troublesome selections, comparable to when he dropped a number of key gamers from his Euro squad, together with Mats Hummels, Borussia Dortmund’s strong central defender and 2014 world champion.

Wirtz and Musiala, two rising stars

For this Euro, the Mannschaft coach has relied closely on the group of gamers who impressed towards Les Bleus in March. “We’ve changed the squad very little, because it was good,” mentioned  Nagelsmann when he unveiled his group for the event on May 16.

While he shall be counting on key gamers like captain Ilkay Gündogan and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has not performed for his nation since 2022 due to damage, the coach shall be entrusting the group’s assault to 2 very younger gamers who’ve been lighting up the Bundesliga this season: Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, each 21.

Musiala, who already featured on the 2022 World Cup, is bettering with each sport he performs for Bayern Munich.

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champion Florian Wirtz has proven astonishing effectivity in entrance of the purpose with Bayer Leverkusen and is the primary architect of their title-winning season, scoring 11 objectives and delivering 11 assists in 32 matches.

Hoping for an additional Summer fairytale

In preparation for Euro 2024, Germany first confronted Ukraine on June 4, a match that allowed for a wide-ranging evaluate of the squad and led to a 0-0 draw, regardless of 26 German photographs.

The Mannschaft botched their closing warm-up match three days later towards Greece, regardless of finally prevailing 2-1 because of an 89^th-minute purpose.

That lacklustre efficiency served as a well timed wake-up name for the group, and for goalkeeper Neuer, whose blunder allowed the Greek purpose, and who regarded shaky and uninspired.

The group should placed on a extra convincing efficiency towards Scotland within the opener in Munich on Friday if they’re to get the event off to a very good begin and get the house followers behind them, as they did in 2006 when the World Cup was held on dwelling soil.

Germany made all of it the best way to the semi-finals within the 2006 competitors earlier than falling to Italy. But the event was thought of an excellent success and a wave of nationwide satisfaction swept the nation because it skilled what remains to be thought to be “a summer fairytale”, Summer fairytale.

The bold Nagelsmann, whose preliminary contract ran till Euro 2024 however has now been prolonged to the 2026 World Cup, has mentioned that he believes his gamers can do higher than a spot within the final 4.

That stays to be seen on the day of the ultimate, July 14.

This article is a translation of the unique in French.