Opening game against Scotland
DFB team is spared Hammer at the home European Championship
December 2, 2023, 6:49 p.m
The DFB team will have supposedly doable tasks in the preliminary round at the European Championships at home next year. In Group A, national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team plays against Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland.
The German national soccer team will play in the group phase of the 2024 European Championships at home against Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland. This was the result of the celebratory draw on Saturday in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. The Scots will be the opening opponents of national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s DFB selection in the Munich Arena on June 14th, who was unable to travel by plane to the draw in the north due to the onset of winter in the south.
“We are in a situation where we respect everyone,” said DFB sports director Rudi Völler on RTL. He is looking forward to the opening game against the Scots and was relieved that the team will not face either the Netherlands or Italy. On the other hand, he found Switzerland “interesting,” said Völler.
Nagelsmann spoke on MagentaTV about a “very interesting group” A, “in which we want to assert ourselves”. Against the Scots it will be “a very nice start. The other games will also be exciting duels. It’s not a group of death, but a very good one.” He explained: “I have coached some players from Hungary and I know what the players there can do. This is a team that plays very interesting football.” He said about Switzerland: “It’s a little derby against our direct neighbors. We had that last time against Austria too, where we didn’t look so good. We want to look better against Switzerland.”
The national team will play against Hungary on June 19th in Stuttgart, and the German finale of the group phase will be against the Swiss on June 23rd in Frankfurt/Main. The two group winners and the four best third-placed teams reach the round of 16, where Germany could face Spain or England. The goal of all teams is the final in the Berlin Olympic Stadium on July 14th.
DFB is in a low mood
“Feasible, absolutely feasible group. Mandatory task at a home European Championship for these teams,” said record national player Lothar Matthäus on Sky about the German games. For comparison: In Group D, vice world champion France will face, among others, Oranje and Austria. In season B, Italy has to play against co-favorites Spain and third place Croatia.
Nagelsmann’s selection is again in a low mood after the disappointing November games against Turkey (2:3) and in Vienna against Austria (0:2). The preparations for the European Championship will not continue until March, with test matches against the Netherlands and France. “The truth will come in the summer,” said DFB sports director Rudi Völler on Friday.
Nagelsmann had major problems getting there because of the heavy snowfall; all flights at Munich airport were canceled. So the 36-year-old got into the car in the morning and made it to Hamburg on time. However, his assistant coaches Benjamin Glück and Sandro Wagner did not travel.
Völler and association president Bernd Neuendorf had already arrived in Hamburg before Saturday as important representatives of the European Championship hosts. During the one-hour gala, star tenor Jonas Kaufmann and star violinist David Garrett performed in the concert hall; the drawing of the tickets lasted about 20 minutes.