Team representing the country - Lahm: DFB side has potential to benefit from week prior to hosting the European Championships
Tournament director Philipp Lahm is confident that the German national team is on a positive trajectory just a week before the opening match of the European Championship. However, there's still some work left for the DFB selection, according to national coach Julian Nagelsmann. "I think they can make good use of this week," said the World Cup winner from 2014 to dpa. The German squad will face Greece in their final warm-up match at 8:45 p.m. on RTL in Mönchengladbach.
Lahm pointed out the quartet of Champions League champions Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger from Real Madrid, as well as finalists Nico Schlotterbeck and Niclas Füllkrug from Borussia Dortmund. "Some players competed in the Champions League final and only joined later," mentioned the 40-year-old. "They'll make the most of the final week to be in top form for the opening match against Scotland." Lahm believes a successful start is critical for the tournament.
As for who will score the German goals in the meeting against Scotland on June 14 in Munich, it's "irrelevant" to Lahm. He humorously noted, "The important thing is that someone scores." The squad had numerous opportunities against Ukraine in the penultimate test but couldn't capitalize.
Lahm emphasized the importance of a "clear victory" in the opener, recalling Germany's surprising defeats in recent tournaments: 0:1 vs. Mexico in the 2018 World Cup, 1:2 against Japan in the 2022 World Cup, and 0:1 against France in the 2021 European Championship. "You've seen in the past few tournaments that if you don't start well, you immediately encounter pressure, and it becomes challenging," said Lahm. "So, I just hope for a simple, clear victory, which will ignite excitement in our country." Lahm was the first to score for the men's team in the home World Cup in 2006.
DFB Vice President Celia Sasic, on the other hand, spoke about the women's team and their first match in the 2011 Women's World Cup at home. "Scoring the first goal in the first game of a tournament is a significant milestone," said Sasic. "It creates a positive atmosphere and makes everything so much easier with a win." Sasic scored the initial goal for the women's team in the first German match with a 2:1 victory against Canada.
