France is the favorite for Euro 2024. Former German international Philipp Lahm, head of the organizing committee, said this by praising the exceptional pool of players among the Blues.
Asked who he sees winning Euro 2024 (June 14 – July 14), the former captain of Germany, world champion in 2014, is categorical: ‘France, quite simply because they have , I would say, 40 players, they really have a lot of very talented players.
‘They have a very balanced squad and can easily make changes, bringing in players from the bench who would normally have the legitimacy to play from the start. But what is decisive is to present ourselves as a team on the pitch,’ added Philipp Lahm.
A surprise team
The Euros’ chief organizer believes the ‘big European football nations’ have the best chance of winning the tournament. But he ‘also wants there to be a surprise team, for small nations to go far enough in the tournament, encouraged by their supporters’.
‘The title, I’m pretty sure, will be won by a football nation, a favorite that has always won in recent years,’ added Lahm. Former Mannschaft captain, Lahm appreciated Germany’s performance on Saturday against France (2-0 victory in Lyon): ‘Julian Nagelsmann has found a clear formation, he has his central defenders, his full-backs. He has built an established midfield, and also some very dynamic young players.’
Progress to be confirmed
‘Obviously, it gives confidence,’ he said, specifying however that this progress would have to be confirmed over time. ‘It is also important for Germany and for the euphoria in our country that the Mannschaft plays good football, with passion. Saturday was a first step, but we will be able to judge it later on the duration,’ he warned.
Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala ‘definitely have the talent to take the Mannschaft to another level’, according to Lahm. ‘It’s important that everything works at the same time, that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. This is what happened for us in 2014, everyone identified with their role and put their qualities at the service of the team,’ he recalled.
/ATS