Euro Championships 2024: Amid strife, football for togetherness

In the time of war, elections in England and France, the far-right making significant gains in the European Union parliament and one in five telling a poll that hosts Germany should have more white-skinned players, the European championship could seem irrelevant in a continent grappling with greater problems. “There are conflicts everywhere… conflicts within German society, conflicts within Europe,” Stefan Uersfeld, a sports columnist for German broadcaster N-TV, told AP.

But Philipp Lahm’s urge for the tournament to foster a sense of togetherness shows that football can have a role to play. “The Euro can be used to illustrate our democratic, European values,” said Lahm, the former Germany captain now director of Euro 2024. Germany getting behind skipper Ilkay Gündogan and the team where Jamal Musiala and Antonio Rüdiger are expected to play important roles can be a start when they kick-off against Scott McTominay-led Scotland on Friday. And given these tournaments’ ability to generate optimism, who knows, by the time of the final on July 14, Germany may be comparing this with what it calls the summer fairytale of 2006. A World Cup that was also a time to make friends.

Like then, no one was giving Germany a chance till recently. They had lost 1-4 to Japan, 2-3 to Turkey and had been held 2-2 by Mexico. Things began shifting with wins against France and Netherlands in March. A month prior, Toni Kroos ended his international retirement. Then, Borussia Dortmund made the Champions League final and Bayer Leverkusen became “Neverlusen” till the Europa League final. A proud football nation, three-time champions of Europe, gave coach Julian Nagelsmann and team director Rüdi Voeller new deals as it learned to hope again.

“Something big can happen,” Musiala told Sportsbild. A “cheesy” ending, Kroos has said referring to the possibility of ending his international career the way he finished at the club. One he would happily take.

Now in charge till the 2026 World Cup, Nagelsmann purged the old guard removing 11 players including Leon Goretzka and Mats Hummels even as he welcomed back Kroos. If Nagelsmann can get 21-year-olds Florian Wirtz and Musiala in the team without it losing balance — England’s inability to do with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard cost a generation — they can go deep. “They are players you always have a bit of doubt as defenders,” Kroos has said. Wirtz, who missed the 2022 World Cup with injury, had 20 assists and 18 goals in 49 games. Musiala had 12 goals and eight assists in 38.

Defending champions Italy have also left out many from the squad that came from behind to beat England at Wembley in 2021. Nicolo Barella still runs the engine room in midfield but Luciano Spalletti has opted for a roster thin on experience — nearly half have played less than 10 internationals. Four, five, six of them are world class, said former Italy goalie and legend Gianluigi Buffon, adding that underestimating Italy might not be wise. Goals have been a problem though and qualification far from the breeze it was last time.

If Italy and Germany have changed, England and France have walked the opposite route. Should France make the semi-finals, coach Didier Deschamps will be working on July 8, the 12th anniversary of taking the job. In that time he has played successive World Cup finals, winning one, and won the 2021 Nations League. France are the top-ranked team in Europe and know how to progress in tournaments, the blip of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Switzerland in 2021 notwithstanding. And they have Kylian Mbappe.

France could meet England in the semi-final if both teams top their groups. Gareth Southgate’s duration in charge is less than Deschamps by four years but he has brought England close to believing that their men’s team can win another major title. Known to eschew spectacular for the solid, Southgate has a squad that can go in with one plan of attack — attack. Here’s looking at you Harry Kane (44 goals in 47 games last term), Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka. And we haven’t even got to Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney, Kobbie Mainoo and Ollie Watkins.

“We want to make history,” said Declan Rice. “We say it all the time but genuinely we have a group, a manager that really believes. We have confidence that we can go there and do something special.”

No conversation about favourites will be complete without mentioning Portugal. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa kept most clean sheets in the qualifiers (6) and Bruno Fernandes registered the most assists (8). Back to front, they are good, proof of which came in Portugal winning all 10 of the qualifying rounds. And Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy age, defeat defenders and question the judgment of those who thought his international career had ended when Portugal lost to Morocco in Doha. For all talk about favourites, we must remember that Greece were champions in 2004 and Denmark in 1992 when they weren’t even supposed to play. While expecting Albania or debutants Georgia to go all the way may be a stretch, what’s not to say Belgium, unbeaten in qualifiers with Romelu Lukaku leading the scoring charts (14 goals), Austria, where Ralf Rangnick and Marcel Sabitzer have done what neither could at Manchester United, Spain’s young ones and Croatia’s not-so-young-ones will be enjoying the German summer.

Or Netherlands reprise the successful campaign of 1988, when Ronald Koemans was a player and neither West Germany nor the Berlin Wall history. You could add Denmark to that list and it wouldn’t be odd. But for their captain Christian Eriksen, just being there can feel like a triumph.

When Eriksen steps out against Slovenia on June 16, he will be the embodiment of hope. It will be a moment that takes Euro 2024 beyond being a project that can generate €2.7 billion in revenue.