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June 14 – Can Germany shrug off past disappointments and make their nation proud again? Do England, with their ferocious fire power, have what it takes to finally get over the line? Can Italy defy the critics and retain their title? Will technically gifted Spain or star-studded France show their undoubted prowess? Could it be Portugal for the second time in three tournaments? Or can one of the lesser lights surprise everyone and go all the way?
The stage is set for Euro 2024 with no out-and-out favourite but plenty of genuinely optimistic contenders fancying their chances of lifting the famous trophy in a month’s time.
Even before a ball is kicked at tonight’s opening game between Germany and Scotland, Germany’s former World Cup-winning captain and coach Franz Beckenbauer will be honoured by UEFA.
Beckenbauer captained West Germany to a European Championship triumph in 1972 and a World Cup success in 1974 before winning the World Cup again as manager in 1990.
He died in January aged 78 and the opening ceremony will see his wife Heidi carry the Henri Delaunay Cup along with Germany’s two Euro-winning captains Bernard Dietz and Juergen Klinsmann.
This will ensure “all three of Germany’s UEFA Euro triumphs are reflected,” UEFA said in a statement. The venue is of course also home to Bayern Munich, the club where Beckenbauer played for over a decade, winning three successive European Cups from 1974 to 1976.
As for the likely champions on July 14, it’s hard to pick a winner.
Spain haven’t won a major men’s trophy for over a decade and have been eliminated on penalties in their last three campaigns.
But having whetted their appetite by winning the 2023 Nations League they have a new objective in sight: to become the most successful men’s team at the European Championship and add a fourth crown to their collection.
The Spanish football federation may be in disarray off the field but just as the women’s team triumphed in the World Cup in…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/06/14/euro-2024-looks-wide-open-battle-right-place-right-time-commences/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-06-14 11:41:02
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