When we watch the Euros this summer, many favorites are heading into the tournament. England, France and Spain are all among the favorite teams to win the competition, but many people haven’t thought about the tournament’s host team, Germany.
Ten years ago, Germany won its 4th World Cup by beating Argentina in the final. Since then, the Germans have not had much fun in major tournaments. They narrowly beat Italy in the Euro 2016 quarter-final on penalties, but their momentum stalled in the semi-final against France.
At the 2018 World Cup, Germany were unable to advance past the group stage, and their round of 16 loss to England at the previous Euro was their first exit at this stage since the World Cup. World Cup 1938. Things didn’t improve much at the next World Cup, as they were once again eliminated in the groups.
So, what went wrong for Germany after 2014 and how its fortunes could change just in time before hosting the Euros.
The major problem for the German national team after the success of 2014 was the retirement of a number of key football players. The retirement of Per Mertesacker as an optional center back was not helpful, but the loss of Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm, who were key parts of the team over several tournaments, had huge implications.
Other players rose to these managerial positions, such as Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Mesut Özil, but gaps were still present, with a lot of experience leaving the team.
Another major stumbling block for Germany has been the lack of young players who have become key players in the team. During the 2014 World Cup, André Schürrle was a shining star for Germany, but he didn’t quite reach the heights that were expected of him, despite an impressive World Cup campaign.
Since then, Germany has not been able to produce as much talent as France, England, Spain and many other major international nations, ultimately leading to a decline in performance in these competitions .
Recently, things have started to change for the Nationalmannschaft with the arrival of a new manager, experienced players providing needed leadership to the team and a new roster of new talents who have made an impact on the team current.
For a player like Toni Kroos to decide not to retire from international football and return to the team before the Euros is a huge bonus. When you then add Neuer, Hummels and Muller, players who contributed to Germany’s success. , this will certainly have positive indications for Nagelsmann’s team.
Then, when you look at the options Germany have in midfield, the main players are Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, arguably the two best German talents of the last 10 years. These two elements that create all offensive threats could play a vital role in any possible success for Germany.
Add to that many other players like Max Beier, David Raum and many other players who have broken into the German squad, alongside others about to be involved in the squad for the Euros, makes for an exciting tournament for fans of the home nation.
However, one of the most promising developments has been the recent results in friendly matches. Two wins against two teams that will go far in the competition, namely France and the Netherlands, showed signs of progress for German fans under the new management of Julian Nagelsmann, who has made a strong start to his international coaching career after replacing Hansi. Browse.
In the friendly match against the Netherlands, Germany dominated possession, while playing attacking football, with a number of shots challenging the Dutch goal, with Musiala and Wirtz standing out in these matches.
Considering this, there is a real possibility that Germany could put in the performance they have been looking for in a major tournament since winning the World Cup.
The only real problem Germany might have is the lack of a standout striker, with Kai Havertz and Niclas Fullkrug battling it out before the competition begins, but the quality in other positions might be enough to allow the Germany to go far in the tournament, and perhaps win a trophy like they had ten years before.
Featured Image – “German Fans” by StewieD is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
