On the eve of the start of the European Football Championship, Sports introduces the audience with the German national team, which, 18 years after the home 2006 World Cup, is again hosting a grand tournament.
Privilege of the host country The German team did not play in the qualifying tournament. After the disaster at the World Cup in Qatar, Germany played 15 friendly matches (the Bundesmannschaft had six wins, three draws and six losses).
- Interesting fact: Germany will compete at the 14th European Championships, which is a record. The team failed to overcome the qualifications in the first three draws of the tournament, but then the Germans never missed the final stage.
Final application
- Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona);
- Defenders : Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Mittelstadt (both Stuttgart), Benjamin Henrichs, David Raum (both Leipzig), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) «, Spain), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Ta (Bayer Leverkusen);
- Midfielders: Robert Andrich, Florian Wirtz (both Bayer Leverkusen), Chris Furich (Stuttgart), Pascal Gros (Brighton), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlovich, Leroy Sane (all — Bayern);
- Forwards: Maximilian Bayer (Hoffenheim), Niklas Füllkrug (Borussia, Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Thomas Müller (Bayern), Denise Undave (Stuttgart).
The coach who did not suit Bayern, Hans-Dieter Flick, failed at the 2022 World Cup (the Germans did not qualify from the group for the second time in a row), but retained his post. But after being defeated by the Japanese in a friendly match with a score of 1:4, the management's patience ran out — the specialist was fired, and in his place, nine months before the start of the Euro, another ex-Bayern mentor, 36-year-old Julian Nagelsmann, was appointed.
The young coach did a great job at Hoffenheim and Leipzig, but failed in Munich. Bundesliga gold and two German Super Cups are unlikely to surprise anyone when working in the most titled club in the country — much more important is the performance in the Champions League, where Bayern was eliminated at the quarter-final stage, and the atmosphere in the club. Which, according to foreign media, was disgusting: Nagelsmann allegedly quarreled with Neuer and other leaders.
Just days before the start of Euro 2024, Antonio Rudiger and Niklas Füllkrug almost came to blows at an open training session in front of several thousand fans. The fist fight was stopped by the second coach of the team Sandro Wagner… I wonder if there will be no conflicts at least during the most important tournament?
Aging world champions Against the background of the little-known, but very significant for the coaching staff, Maximilian Mittelstaedt from Stuttgart, the most experienced top Ilkay Gundogan, now Defending colors of Barça, and irreplaceable both in Bayern and in the national team of Joshua Kimmich, three players stand out who continue to play for the national team since the triumphant 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Thomas MUELLER. The 34-year-old legend of Bayern and the German national team is preparing to compete at his fourth European Championship. It would seem, where else, if not at home, to put an end to playing for the national team? However, Müller is in no hurry to make loud statements and fully concentrates on the maximum task — he already has two Euro bronzes, only gold is missing.
Manuel NEUER. German media write that the great goalkeeper, who literally rewrote the fundamentals of goalkeeping, will leave the national team after the tournament. This is all due to the tense situation due to the dissatisfaction of “number two” Marc-Andre ter Stegen — in order not to upset the Barça goalkeeper, after the Euro Neuer will say goodbye to the national team on a warm note and give way to a younger colleague.
Toni KROOS. For the six-time Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, the home Euro will be his last tournament as a professional footballer. Yes, yes, not only at the international level. Shortly before the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, Kroos announced his retirement immediately after the championship.
Who will surprise you among the young people? Jamal Musiala is 21 years old, and he already has three victories in the Bundesliga, an “early” Champions League Cup and almost 30 matches for the German national team.
However, the brightest young player in the German team, as in the entire tournament, seems to be his peer from Bayer, Florian Wirtz. The young man had a wonderful season, taking gold in the German championship and the national cup with the “pharmacists”. The defeat in the Europa League final brightened up the recognition as the best player of the season in the Bundesliga — it is obvious that the midfielder will not stay long in Leverkusen. The press reports that Florian will play in his homeland for another year: Real Madrid have already agreed with Bayer on the transfer of Wirtz in the summer of 2025.
What can we expect from the Germans at the Euro? A young coach with no experience in national teams, unclear play in friendly matches and terrifying statistics in the last three tournaments, which turned out to be a failure for the Bundesmanschaft. At the Russian World Cup, the Germans did not make it out of the group (which was repeated four years later in Qatar), and at Euro 2020 they were eliminated at the 1/8 final stage by the future finalists — the British. However, if we draw an analogy with 2006, then Jurgen Klinsmann’s team also fought in their native walls after a nightmare at the 2004 European Championship. And they took bronze!
As a result, the support of native fans will definitely benefit the German team, going through a difficult period. However, it will be very difficult for the “German car” to repeat the success of Euro 1996.
Match schedule14 June (Friday):
Euro14 June 2024 • starts at 22:00Finished
GermanyGermany5 : 1
ScotlandScotland
10 ' • Florian Wirtz (Josua Kimmich)
19' • Jamal Musiala (Kai Havertz)
45' • Kai Havertz (P)68' • Niklas Füllkrug90' • Emre Can (Thomas Müller)
87' • Antonio Rudiger (A)
See all goals
June 19 (Wednesday):
- 19:00/Germany – Hungary.
June 23 (Sunday):
- 22:00/Switzerland — Germany.
* hereinafter — Moscow time.
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