Tag: Euro 2024

Kasper Schmeichel believes England have improved since ending Denmark’s dream run at Euro 2020 as the Three Lions aim to book their place in the last 16 of the European Championship when the sides meet again today.

After edging past the inspired Danes 2-1 in the semi-final three years ago, Gareth Southgate’s men lost the final on home soil to Italy on penalties.

But they are one of the favourites to win the competition for the first time in Germany thanks to the development of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka among others since the last Euros.

 “I think England were a world class side when we met them (at Euro 2020), they got to the final of a major tournament,” Schmeichel told reporters.

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 “And when you look at some of the additions and the experience they’ve gained they are a better side now than ever, at least in the time I’ve played against them. We’re going to have to be on top of our game to beat them.”

Denmark were left feeling aggrieved after a controversial penalty edged the semi-final three years ago England’s way.

Schmeichel, though, said he is not seeking revenge.

 “I’m not the kind of person to look back three years for motivation. The biggest motivation for myself is we are playing another Euros with Denmark. The biggest motivation is imagining celebrating a win for our fans after they have travelled all that way.”

Denmark rode a wave of emotion three years ago after their opening game at Euro 2020 nearly ended in tragedy when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch.

Eriksen scored in their opening game in Germany this time round, but Denmark were held 1-1 by Slovenia to continue a disappointing run in recent years.

Kasper Hjulmand’s men crashed out of the 2022 World Cup at the group stages and are at risk of another early exit should they fail to shock England.

 “For me it’s important that Denmark dream about achieving something big,” said Hjulmand.

 “Are we favourites? No. Is it a failure if we don’t win the Euros? No. But we have to have the ambitions and dreams because that sets the standard. If we don’t dream something is wrong.”

Denmark could be handed a major boost with the return of captain Simon Kjaer after the AC Milan defender missed their opening game due to injury.

When coach Didier Deschamps takes to the dugout today for France’s European Championship opener against Austria, it will be an opportunity to register a phenomenal 100th  win in charge of the team.

The 55-year-old is by some margin the most experienced coach at the tournament in Germany, with his almost 12 years in charge of Les Bleus, and brings with him impressive credentials as a player too.

Today’s  Group D match in Duesseldorf marks Deschamps’ 154th  game as French coach with 99 wins, 30 draws and 24 losses in a glory-filled career, where consistency and calmness have been his hallmarks.

He has been coach of his side more than three years longer than the next most experienced manager at Euro 2024 -– England’s Gareth Southgate.

Deschamps has won the World Cup as both a coach and player — first in 1998 on home soil in a star-studded French line-up.

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His considerable role as midfield kingpin was belittled by Eric Cantona who branded him a “vulgar water carrier” but Deschamps earned 103 caps and his club career saw him win the Champions League with Olympique de Marseille and Juventus.

As a coach he has taken France to two World Cup finals, victorious in Russia in 2018 and losing four years later to Argentina on post-match penalties in the 2022 final in Qatar.

“What keeps me going is the passion, the desire and the determination. What interests me is always having new objectives,” he said on the eve of the tournament in Germany.

“At a very high international level, winning is very difficult and maintaining it is even more difficult, because only one team wins and then the others don’t sleep.”

There is the possibility in Germany for him to become the first to win the World Cup and the Euros as both a player and a coach but that is not something he said he was concerned about.

“The objective is around the French national team in terms of what we’ve achieved and what we’re capable of achieving,” he said.

Lamine Yamal became the youngest player ever to appear at a European Championship on Saturday when he started for Spain in its tournament-opening game against Croatia.

He also became the youngest player to set up a goal at the tournament when he crossed for Dani Carvajal to score Spain’s third goal before the break. Enzo Scifo was 18 when he set up a goal for Belgium against Yugoslavia in 1984.

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Yamal was 16 years, 338 days. The previous youngest record-holder was Kacper Kozlowski of Poland, who was 17 years, 246 days in 2021 when he played against Spain.

It’s Yamal’s eighth appearance for Spain. He played 47 games in the Spanish league and Champions League for Barcelona last season.

Yamal will turn 17 the day before the Euro 2024 final on July 14 in Berlin.

Germany begin their quest for a first major title in a decade as the Euro 2024 hosts play their Group A opener against Scotland today to kick off the tournament and what the country hopes will be a month-long party for visiting fans.

Germany have won four World Cups and three European Championships but their stellar tournament reputation has been somewhat tarnished with a series of failures since their 2014 World Cup victory in Brazil.

They went out of the next two World Cups in the group stage, their worst showing in over 80 years, and exited the last Euros in the round of 16.

With the tournament on home soil, there is only one outcome that will satisfy Germany’s fans, who are desperate for the success they once took for granted: winning the title.

Despite their 2022 World Cup disappointment, a string of terrible results since, including a 4-1 home defeat to Japan back in September, and a change of coach a month later, the Germans still have their eyes on the big prize.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann, who took over in October 2023, made that clear only days before the tournament. “The normal ambition: we want to win it,” Nagelsmann said of the team’s goal.

“It’s the same in all other tournaments. It’s probably not best for us to make this big claim that we’re going to become European champions. We will face up to the task. It is a huge task, it will be challenging, and it’s certainly not a chance that comes around very often.”

His team are banking on a mix of hugely talented young players, including Jamal Musiala and newly-crowned Bundesliga champion Florian Wirtz, and experienced veterans such as 2014 World Cup winners

The big question remains their goal-scoring ability with Kai Havertz, far from a natural number nine, being their first-choice striker. Burly forward Niclas Fuellkrug will be on the bench.

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They will need to underline those big ambitions against the Scots, who are playing in back-to-back European Championships for the first time since 1996.

Scotland, clear underdogs, are hoping for an early upset that could help guide them through the group stage for the first time in 11 international tournaments.

Apart from success on the pitch, the host country is also banking on a wave of enthusiasm from their own fans as well as an estimated 2.7 million visitors for the June 14-July 14 event.

Large fan zones have been set up across all major cities, including Berlin’s massive fan space, stretching from the iconic Brandenburg gate far into the west of the city.

The fan zones were an overwhelming success during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, helping to fuel the party atmosphere of that tournament, dubbed locally the ‘summer fairytale’.

Conditions are not quite the same this time, with more than one in four Germans having no interest in the Euros, and security being top of the agenda.

Thousands of police will be deployed around the clock in an attempt to head off potential threats from Islamists, hooligans, violent individuals and cyber-attacks.

“It is a major effort when it comes to the deployed forces,” Interior Minister Nancy Falser said. “Each day we have 22,000 police officers in action for the Euro.”

German police have also been working with colleagues in other countries to identify potential threats and make sure the tournament becomes another summer hit for the country.