Before the European Championship draw: German title optimism in the basement
The vast majority of Germans believe it is unrealistic that national coach Julian Nagelsmann will be celebrating a European Championship victory with the national soccer team in Berlin on July 14, 2024.
When the DFB squad is drawn against their opponents in the preliminary round of the European Championships at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg on Saturday, sporting confidence will be at rock bottom after the many disappointments of the recent past. Only two percent expect a European Championship triumph at the home tournament next summer. This is the result of a representative survey by the opinion research institute YouGov.
By contrast, 24% of those surveyed expect another massive tournament disappointment and elimination in the group stage - as was the case at the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments. 16% see the DFB team failing in the round of 16, as was the case at the 2021 European Championship. 15 percent believe Nagelsmann and his team will reach the quarter-finals and eight percent believe they will reach the semi-finals. Germany in the final - albeit without a subsequent coronation - is still predicted by three percent. 30 percent of respondents had no opinion.
"There are no easy opponents anyway"
In the host country, the DFB team is therefore relieved of the role of favorite for the time being. Although DFB President Bernd Neuendorf had recently proclaimed participation in the final as a goal between the lost test matches against Turkey (2:3) and Austria (0:2).
In the draw, anything is possible for Germany, although they are seeded first in Group A: an easy group as well as a hammer draw. The most difficult option would be Italy and the Netherlands from pots 4 and 3 as well as Denmark, Austria or Turkey from the second pot. However, a group with Albania, Slovenia and a team from play-off path C, in which Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan and Luxembourg will play out a European Championship participant in March, would also be conceivable.
"The charm of a draw is that you draw lots. So you don't have your luck in your own hands, and there are no easy opponents anyway," Nagelsmann told the German Press Agency ahead of the draw. The 36-year-old will come to Hamburg on Saturday to take part in the ceremony.
Despite the low expectations, Germany's national soccer team aims to avoid a draw with tough opponents like Italy and the Netherlands in the European Championships (EM) 2024 draw. Julian Nagelsmann, the team's coach, acknowledges that "there are no easy opponents anyway," emphasizing the unpredictability of the lottery-style process.
Source: www.dpa.com
