1) Home Advantage
The European Championship is special, as the continent’s most productive groups compete for the most sensible European prize. For Julian Nagelsmann and his players, betting in front of partisan crowds and a cheering German crowd will be an added motivation.
It would be the second time the tournament had been held in Germany, with the Netherlands of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard reigning in spirit by beating the Soviet Union 2-0 in the 1988 final in Munich. The hosts also kicked off the tournament in the Bavarian capital, but at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena instead of their former stadium, the Olympiastadion.
See: Euro 2024 host stadiums
Discover the 10 reception locations here!
History suggests that German fans can expect their team to interact deeply in the competition. Portugal (2004), France (2016) and England (2021, playing one of their matches at Wembley) have all been defeated as finalists at home. , while Spain (1964), Italy (1968) and France (1984) have been defeated and victorious in front of their own fans. Germany will be looking to climb onto that list, reviving memories of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the country, when their little-loved team qualified for the semi-finals thanks to a wave of fans at home.
2) The well-being of German football
After an exciting club crusade in 2023/24, German football has been in a position lately. The team that stood out was, of course, Bayer Leverkusen, who became the first team to finish a Bundesliga season unbeaten, as well as winning the DFB Cup and reaching the final of the UEFA Europa League. Florian Wirtz, Robert Andrich and Jonathan Tah, all members of Nagelsmann’s squad for the European Championship, played an important role in his achievements.
Also present will be no less than five members of the VfB Stuttgart squad, which finished second and qualified for the UEFA Champions League, a commendation for their brilliant campaign. It’s an extraordinary season for German clubs in European competitions, where only Serie A piling up more coefficient problems while the Bundesliga secured one of the two Champions League bonds next season, while Borussia Dortmund reached the final of this season’s edition: Leverkusen, finalist of the European League.
Although BVB succumbed to Real Madrid, members of the German team Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger triumphed. Overall, there is a lot of positivity in the German camp, which their good start only reinforced.
Watch: Bayer Leverkusen brace
3) Wusiala
What? WHO? Well, it’s a double act that they know all too well for the next decade. The hosts have two of Europe’s most interesting youngsters at their disposal, Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, and they make an impressive team (Wusiala, you understand?).
The former had his most productive campaign since turning professional, winning the Bundesliga title and Player of the Season award. He was also the only player to get at least 10 goals and 10 assists in the competition. lived up to their expectations and took charge of Euro 2024 by opening the scoring just 10 minutes after the 5-1 defeat to Scotland.
See: The Story of Florian Wirtz
Musiala, on the other hand, has long established himself in the elite. The 21-year-old is already a four-time Bundesliga champion and even scored the winning goal as Bayern impressively won the Meisterschale on the final day of the 2022 season. 23. Su start with three goals for Euro 2024, adding a high-form goal in the 2-0 win over Denmark that propelled Germany into the round of 16, showed his position on the foreign stage. any questions. . .
See: Wusiala – The Future of Germany
4) Experience and core success
The emergent ability is all well and good, but it may not be enough on its own. Fortunately, Germany can draw on a lot of experienced people who have been there and succeeded for club and country.
Three players were part of the team that won the 2014 World Cup. Manuel Neuer, Kroos (who played the biggest games of his career after recently announcing his retirement at the end of the tournament) and Thomas Müller have all played more than a hundred times for their country and will set an example for younger players.
All three have also won the Champions League (several times, in fact), but they are not in this aspect. Joshua Kimmich, Rüdiger, captain İlkay Gündoğan, Marc-André ter Stegen and Kai Havertz also climbed to the most sensible step of the podium in European football: the organisation has no less than 63 championship champion medals. Everywhere you look, there are those who know what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
5) History
Germany won its first two games of a European Championship for the fifth time. On 3 out of four occasions, in 1972, 1980 and 1996, she was crowned European champion. They missed their chance in 2012, when they were beaten in the semi-finals through a Mario Balotelli-inspired Italy.
Germany are now just two wins away from reaching the final, while their Spanish rivals will be next to play what looks to be a brilliant quarter-final in Stuttgart.