Hosts Germany are gearing up for Euro 2024, aiming for a standout performance to captivate their home crowd and reclaim their international standing.
Despite their storied history as three-time European champions, Germany has endured a title drought for a decade, with their last major triumph being the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Since then, their performance at major tournaments has been lackluster. They suffered early exits at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, marking their worst showing in over 80 years.
Additionally, they were knocked out of the Euros three years ago in the round of 16.
The pressure mounted when Julian Nagelsmann took the helm from Hansi Flick in October 2023, with expectations for an immediate turnaround just months before Euro 2024.
A disastrous 2022 World Cup campaign was followed by a string of bad results, including a 4-1 loss to visitors Japan in September last year.
The results, combined with the prospect of failing at the Euros in front of a home crowd, hastened Flick's departure.
Nagelsmann suffered a rough start with only one win from his first four matches in charge.
In March, however, victories over France and the Netherlands in friendly internationals were seen as the first indicators that the team might be going in the right direction.
They put in two solid performances and conceded just one goal in those games compared to the seven they had conceded in their previous three matches in October and November.
Against France, they also scored the second-fastest international goal, with 21-year-old Florian Wirtz finding the net after seven seconds.
The victories instantly triggered a rise in expectations from German fans hoping for a repeat of their 2006 World Cup campaign.
The event, nicknamed the "summer fairy tale," unleashed a massive wave of local enthusiasm as Germany reached the semifinals.
Nagelsmann will count on an efficient Bayer Leverkusen block with defender Jonathan Tah, midfielder Robert Andrich, and attacking midfielder Wirtz.
The latter is an integral part of Nagelsmann's "three magicians" midfield, alongside Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan.
The return to international duty of Real Madrid's Toni Kroos also improved the team's spirits.
The 34-year-old midfielder, who had retired from the national team three years ago, brings an extreme wealth of experience at the top level, having played in the 2014 World Cup and enjoyed considerable club success with Real.
Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich, in a full-back role, and in-form Champions League finalist Nico Schlotterbeck bolster the backline while Niclas Fuellkrug is expected to lead their attack as the only out-and-out striker in the squad.
"As a coach, I want my team to be exciting, captivating," Nagelsmann said. "We will try to win the title. But we could be eliminated at some point in the knockout stage, and I could still rate it as a good tournament."
