EM 2024: luck of the draw? The DFB team is having difficulties with two competitors

After an intensive Advent weekend, Julian Nagelsmann was happy to be able to rest. The national soccer coach drove to the draw for the groups for the home European Championship 2024 in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie on Saturday with a fever and because of the onset of winter in his hometown of Munich. The 36-year-old returned to Munich as a passenger. He announced changes for 2024.

“There is no radical cure now that we leave ten players at home and invite ten new ones, but there will be some changes in the structure because we also have a changed national team in terms of self-image and in the way we perform.” said Nagelsmann about the coming months. It’s not a great group, but “we can look forward to great games.” Germany will host Scotland in the opening game in Munich on June 14th, in the second game five days later the selection will face Hungary in Stuttgart, and in the last preliminary round game in Frankfurt/Main on June 23rd to Switzerland.

National coach Julian Nagelsmann (right) at the draw with Hungary’s national coach Marco Rossi (left), his Swiss colleague Murat Yakin – and the object of desire

Quelle: Getty Images/Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto

Germany has been without a win in three games against Hungary and Switzerland. Rudi Völler, sports director of the German Football Association (DFB), emphasized that the group was “very balanced. I will be careful not to say that there is an absolute top favorite.” It is always best “if you finish first in the group”. However, the group has its pitfalls.

Scotland

Germany won eight of the 17 games against Scotland so far (there were even more international games against Northern Ireland). Of the past 13 duels, the European Championship hosts have only lost one: in 1999, a friendly match in Bremen under Erich Ribbeck 0-1.

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There were two wins in two games for Germany in the finals: 2-1 at the 1986 World Cup and 2-0 at the 1992 European Championship (goals: Karlheinz Riedle and Stefan Effenberg). The Germans have won the last three games against the Scots: 2:1 (September 2003), 2:1 (September 2014), 3:2 (September 2015/all European Championship qualification). The coach of the opening opponent is the former national player Steve Clarke. “There are four strong teams in the group,” he said after the draw in Hamburg.

“It’s great to be part of the opening game. She (the Germans, the editorial team) can expect a lot of Scottish fans to come.” The Scots have never made it past the group stage. “It will be very emotional, with great fans and very interesting football,” said Nagelsmann.

Hungary

At the 2021 European Championship, Germany barely managed a 2-2 draw against Hungary in the preliminary round; the game was a kind of “final” for the DFB selection and was politically charged in the rainbow debate during the tournament. Leon Goretzka held his heart in front of his chest as he celebrated his 2-2 draw in front of the Hungary corner. The following year the teams in the Nations League drew 1-1 and Germany lost 1-0 once. The coach is the 59-year-old Italian Marco Rossi.

This is what Nagelsmann, Völler and Lahm say about the European Championship draw

The German national team will face Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland at the home European Championships. “Of course we want to get to the next round,” said Rudi Völler after the draw. Julian Nagelsmann wants to “approach the matter humbly”.

“Germany is on a different level,” he said. The stars of the team are Dominik Szoboszlai from Liverpool FC and Willi Orban and Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig. “In Hungary, of course, I know some players that I trained myself,” said Nagelsmann, who was RB coach until 2021.

Switzerland

Germany and Switzerland have never met each other at either a European Championship or in qualifying for a European Championship or World Cup. There have only been four encounters at the World Cup, the last of which was a long time ago: In the preliminary round of the 1966 World Cup, Germany won 5-0, Franz Beckenbauer and Helmut Haller each scored twice. The German record in the last three games: 3:5 (May 2012/test match), 1:1 (September 2020), 3:3 (October 2020/both Nations League).

Only against Switzerland has Germany already played 53 international matches, only against their neighbors have they already won 36 times, and only against this opponent have the Germans scored over a hundred goals (142). “On paper, Switzerland is perhaps the strongest team that plays very, very good football,” said Nagelsmann. “Who has a very successful coach in Murat Yakin, who has one of the top Bundesliga players in Granit Xhaka.”

Murat Yakin (r.) with his midfield boss Granit Xhaka

Those: dpa/Ennio Leanza

The next international matches for the Germans are in March, the opponents are the Netherlands and France, the venues are still unclear. Hardly any national players were convincing in the most recent games last November. The coaching team may be rethinking the 4-2-2-2 tactic recently used, with which Nagelsmann caused a stir with Kai Havertz as left full-back. “It will affect content areas, but also affect the structure a little,” said the national coach about the planned changes. He only mentioned one name: Manuel Neuer.

The FC Bayern captain will return to the squad “if he stays healthy and plays like he does now.” The fight for the European Championship place in the German goal will be a main topic in March. FC Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen missed the November games due to injury. Neuer will return with the aim of experiencing the home European Championships as a regular player.

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