Euro 2020+1 - The Guide: Better late than never

EURO 2020(+1)
UNOFFICIAL PREVIEW GUIDE

GROUP A
▪️ Matches played in Rome (ITA) and Baku (AZE)
➡️ TURKEY
➡️ ITALY
➡️ WALES
➡️ SWITZERLAND

➡️ TURKEY • FIFA ranking 29 • Odds 50/1
Head coach Senol Gunes (since June 2019)  
Qualification Group H runners-up (W7 D2 L1 F18 A3)
Warm-up matches W2-1 v Azerbaijan, D0-0 v Guinea, W2-0 v Moldova
Best performance Semi finals (2008)
▪️ TURKEY put together an unexpectedly convincing qualifying performance, built on a solid defence, to make it through to a major finals for only the second time since their shock run to the semi finals in 2008. Four years ago at Euro 2016, the Crescent Stars were disappointing, going down to defeats without scoring against Croatia and Spain before salvaging some pride with a win against the Czech Republic. Since qualification, though, the Turks' performance level has dropped off again - and they were relegated from their Nations League group after finishing below Hungary, Russia, and Serbia in the second tier. That series of results has halted the momentum which Senol Gunes's men had built up and that will be something which is difficult to get back.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

➡️ ITALY • FIFA ranking 7 • Odds 8/1
Head coach Roberto Mancini (since May 2018)
Qualification Group J winners (W10 D0 L0 F37 A4)
Warm-up matches W7-0 v San Marino, W4-0 v Czech Republic
Best performance Winners (1968)
▪️ ITALY have had something of a whirlwind experience recently, going from the barely believable heartbreak of failing to qualify for a World Cup in 2018 for the first time since 1950 to the current day and a genuine hope now of competing again in the latter stages of a competition. A 100% qualifying campaign, with 37 goals scored, has perked things up - and, while there are still the old-timers 36-year-old Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, 34, at the back, the Italians have been spruced up by a sprinkling of youth. Add in the experience of coach Roberto Mancini - and an unbeaten run of 27 games - and it is all looking pretty good for the Azzurri to have a good run.
▪️ Prediction: Semi finals

➡️ WALES • FIFA ranking 17 • Odds 150/1
Head coach Robert Page (since November 2020)
Qualification Group E runners-up (W4 D2 L2 F10 A6)
Warm-up matches L0-3 v France, D0-0 v Albania
Best performance Semi finals (2016)
▪️ WALES bring with them a mix of youth and experience - usually a benefit to teams looking to go far in a competition. The problem for Wales is that the talisman Gareth Bale is not able to influence games in the same way as he was a few years ago - and the young pretenders like David Brooks and Harry Wilson are just that bit too young. Then, of course, there is the off-field distraction of Ryan Giggs's court case with the head coach due to stand trial at Manchester Crown Court for actual bodily harm and coercive and controlling behaviour; Manchester United legend Giggs denies the charges. Former assistant Rob Page has taken control since Giggs's suspension by the FA of Wales on last November - but Page had a largely binary set of results in the most recent Nations League - and so it would be no surprise if the Dragons lost out in a series of tight matches.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

➡️ SWITZERLAND • FIFA ranking 13 • Odds 75/1
Head coach Vladimir Petković (since August 2014)
Qualification Group D winners (W5 D2 L1 F19 A6)
Warm-up matches W2-1 v United States, W7-0 v Liechtenstein
Best performance Last 16 (2016)
▪️ SWITZERLAND have qualified for every World Cup and European Championships since 2004, except for Euro 2012 - but it would be fair to say that they have hit something of a glass ceiling. Despite several recent attempts now, it still remains the case that the Swiss last tasted success in a World Cup or Euro finals knockout match all the way back in 1938. Perhaps such a middling performance level is simply the natural level for a country which never really expects to be a powerhouse of the game. Nevertheless, a manageable group looks set to offer Vladimir Petković's men yet another chance of ending their wait for a win in the knockouts.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16


GROUP B
▪️ Matches played in Copenhagen (DEN) and St Petersburg (RUS)
➡️ DENMARK
➡️ FINLAND
➡️ BELGIUM
➡️ RUSSIA

➡️ DENMARK • FIFA ranking 10 • Odds 28/1
Head coach Kasper Hjulmand (since July 2020)
Qualification Group D runners-up (W4 D4 L0 F23 A6)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Germany, W2-0 v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Best performance Winners (1992)
▪️ DENMARK come into these European Championships with their most capable team since the Danish Dynamite outfit which announced their presence by beating Uruguay 6-1 at the 1986 World Cup before winning Euro 92, apparently having "come off the beach" following the expulsion of Yugoslavia. That "on the beach" story is apocryphal, actually - the Danes had long expected the expulsion of the Yugoslavs due to the increasing tensions which eventually erupted into a full scale civil war. Rather than being on the beach, Richard Møller Nielsen's team had been training hard in a preparation camp - and the current generation under Kasper Hjulmand are just as well drilled and had an impressive 34-match unbeaten run between 2016 and 2019.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16

➡️ FINLAND • FIFA ranking 54 • Odds 500/1
Head coach Markku Kanerva (since December 2016)
Qualification Group J runners-up (W6 D0 L4 F16 A10)
Warm-up matches L0-2 v Sweden, L0-1 v Estonia
Best performance Never previously qualified
▪️ FINLAND have had a handful of decent players over the years - Jari Litmanen, Antti Niemi and Mikael Forssell spring to mind - but the team as a whole had always previously been too inconsistent or just not good enough. Now, spearheaded by Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki, the current Finnish vintage has made it to a finals for the first time in history after a topsy-turvy qualifying performance which brought six wins and four defeats. Pukki himself can blow rather hot-and-cold - and, with two top-10 ranked group opponents in Belgium and Denmark lying in wait, the Eagle-owls will probably find their best chance of a result will come against their bigger neighbours Russia on the short trip over the border to St Petersburg.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

➡️ BELGIUM • FIFA ranking 1 • Odds 6/1
Head coach Roberto Martinez (since August 2016)
Qualification Group I winners (W10 D0 L0 F40 A3)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Greece, W1-0 v Croatia
Best performance Runners-up (1980)
▪️ BELGIUM must be getting close to wondering when their time will come with their golden generation starting to run out of tournaments to come up with the goods. It seems rather unfathomable that the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romelu Lukaku might end up without honours at international level - their names are a roll-call which simply oozes class. But, to fulfil their promise, the Red Devils may need to slay the shadows of times passed with possible knockout stage meetings against Italy, who beat them in the Euro 2016 group stages, and France who knocked them out in the World Cup semi finals. Football is a strange beast at times, and knockout tournaments have the tendency not to simply follow the rankings.
▪️ Prediction: Semi finals

➡️ RUSSIA • FIFA ranking 38 • Odds 100/1
Head coach Stanislav Cherchesov (since August 2016)
Qualification Group I runners-up (W8 D0 L2 F33 A8)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Poland, W1-0 v Bulgaria
Best performance Winners (1960, as Soviet Union); Semi finals (2008, as Russia)
▪️ RUSSIA hold home advantage again on the back of hosting the World Cup only three years ago with their own group matches taking place in St Petersburg. Three years ago at home, of course, the Russians reached the quarter finals but two heavy defeats in Euro 2020 qualifying against Belgium have brought them down to earth with a bump especially as they face the world number one-ranked Belgians again in their Group B opener. The second match against Finland provides an opportunity for Stanislav Cherchesov's men to make up any lost ground but a place in the Last 16 looks likely to be the height of this squad's ability.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16


GROUP C
▪️ Matches played in Amsterdam (NED) and Bucharest (ROM)
➡️ NETHERLANDS
➡️ UKRAINE
➡️ AUSTRIA
➡️ NORTH MACEDONIA

➡️ NETHERLANDS • FIFA ranking 16 • Odds 14/1
Head coach Frank de Boer (since September 2020)  
Qualification Group C runners-up (W6 D1 L1 F24 A7)
Warm-up matches D2-2 v Scotland, W3-0 v Georgia
Best performance Winners (1988)
▪️ NETHERLANDS have completely lost their way in recent years, becoming a shadow of the team which reached the 2010 World Cup Final and 2014 World Cup semis, after failing to qualify for either Euro 2016 or the World Cup in 2018. The pandemic has further delayed the Dutch return to the big stage - but, despite finishing runners-up to the Germans in qualifying, recent results have shown real promise with Frank de Boer's team finishing top of a Nations League group also featuring France and Germany. Moreover, a kindly draw in Group C has presented this fresh Oranje team with an excellent opportunity to make a bit of a bang on their long-awaited comeback.
▪️ Prediction: Quarter finals

➡️ UKRAINE • FIFA ranking 24 • Odds 100/1
Head coach Andriy Shevchenko (since July 2016)
Qualification Group B winners (W6 D2 L0 F17 A4)
Warm-up matches W1-0 v Northern Ireland, W4-0 v Cyprus
Best performance Group stage (2012, 2016)
▪️ UKRAINE have already made headlines before they have even kicked a ball with the front of their shirts previously adorned with a map showing Russian-annexed Crimea as part of Ukraine. The shirt also included the phrase "Glory to the heroes", and Uefa has backtracked on a previous decision, announcing it now considers the strip to be against its rules. Ukraine have duly removed both elements from their uniform - and will hope to do the rest of their talking on the pitch under the tutelage of legendary striker Andriy Shevchenko. Certainly, it should go better than Euro 2016 when the Ukrainians finished bottom of their group without as much as a point or even a goal.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16

➡️ AUSTRIA • FIFA ranking 23 • Odds 125/1
Head coach Franco Foda (since January 2018)  
Qualification Group G runners-up (W6 D1 L3 F19 A9)
Warm-up matches L0-1 v England, D0-0 v Slovakia
Best performance Group stage (2008, 2016)
▪️ AUSTRIA are exactly the sort of team who have benefited from the European Championships being extended to 24 teams, qualifying for a second Euros in a row after having previously only made it as hosts in 2008. Certainly, the current Austrian team have little to live up to - they are still without a major tournament finals win since 1990 so getting off the mark sharply against North Macedonia feels like a bare minimum. Nevertheless, a runners-up finish in a qualifying group - which included Poland, North Macedonia, Israel, Slovenia and Latvia otherwise - suggests Franco Foda's outfit are little more than Group Stage fodder.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16

➡️ NORTH MACEDONIA • FIFA ranking 62 • Odds 500/1
Head coach Igor Angelovski (since October 2015)
Qualification Path D playoff winners (won 1-0 v Georgia)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Slovenia, W4-0 v Kazakhstan
Best performance Never previously qualified
▪️ NORTH MACEDONIA benefited from the quirky qualification process for Euro 2020 which ensured a team from the lowest division in the Nations League would make it to the finals via the playoffs, beating Georgia in a one-off match away in Tblisi via Goran Pandev's goal. It may have been something of a backdoor route for the debutants but the fans in Skopje will not care about that and will also be encouraged by recent results which have included an incredible World Cup qualifying win away to Germany in Duisburg. After all, that is the sort of result which, despite the Lynxes' lowly ranking of 62, suggests Igor Angelovski's men could make an impact against their Group C opponents, none of which can be considered exactly the strongest of opponents.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage


GROUP D
▪️ Matches played in London (ENG) and Glasgow (SCO)
➡️ ENGLAND
➡️ CROATIA
➡️ SCOTLAND
➡️ CZECH REPUBLIC

➡️ ENGLAND • FIFA ranking 4 • Odds 5/1
Head coach Gareth Southgate (since September 2016)
Qualification Group A winners (W7 D0 L1 F37 A6)
Warm-up matches W1-0 v Austria, W1-0 v Romania
Best performance Semi finals (1968, 1996)
▪️ ENGLAND head into Euro 2020+1 with high hopes following their run to the World Cup semi finals in 2018. An array of young attacking talent is available to Gareth Southgate with support for main man Harry Kane provided by Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount, with other strong options - Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho - offering width. In the full-back positions, the Three Lions are also blessed, even in the absence through injury of Trent Alexander-Arnold. La Liga winner Kieran Trippier - scorer of that free-kick against Croatia - will fight it out for the right-back slot against Kyle Walker and Reece James with Ben Chilwell or Luke Shaw on the left. Centre-back is very much a problem position, however - John Stones has had a decent season but still looked lost at times without Portuguese partner Ruben Dias, Tyrone Mings remains erratic, and Harry Maguire has carried a bad ankle injury into the tournament. The selection of an extra centre-back, Ben White, for the squad place vacated by Alexander-Arnold, rather belies Southgate's lack of trust in his own centre-back selections, along with his favoured choice of starting two holding midfielders, Declan Rice and Jordan Henderson - who himself is only just returning from injury. That formation might be suitable against recent enemies Croatia but will look be looked upon far less kindly if England are struggling to break down Scotland or the Czech Republic. All in all, the Three Lions still should have no excuses not to progress to the knockout stages - and it is likely this group of players can produce a big performance to make it through to the quarter finals. Against the stronger teams, though, England's defensive weakness feels likely to be exposed so a last eight spot might be as good as it gets.
▪️ Prediction: Quarter finals

➡️ CROATIA • FIFA ranking 14 • Odds 33/1
Head coach Zlatko Dalić (since October 2017)
Qualification Group E winners (W5 D2 L1 F17 A7)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Armenia, L0-1 v Belgium
Best performance Quarter finals (1996, 2008)
▪️ CROATIA have lost some experienced players since their own magnificent run three years ago all the way to a first World Cup Final with Ivan Rakitic, Mario Mandzukic and goalkeeper Danijel Subasic all having now departed the international stage. Nevertheless, Zlatko Dalic will still field a strong side orchestrated by Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic - and they can get off to an ideal start by repeating their World Cup win over England, although the 90 minutes finished in a 1-1 draw, of course. Croatia have also since been beaten by England in the Nations League in November 2018 - and, in fact, the Vatreni have won three and lost seven of their 11 matches since the end of the qualifiers. None of that will matter if Croatia turn up and trouble the latter stages, as they habitually do - but it would be no surprise if began their campaign simply scratching around for some form.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16

➡️ SCOTLAND • FIFA ranking 44 • Odds 250/1
Head coach Steve Clarke (since May 2019)  
Qualification Path C playoff winners (won 5-4 on pens v Serbia, after 1-1 aet)
Warm-up matches D2-2 v Netherlands, W1-0 v Luxembourg
Best performance Group stages (1992, 1996)
▪️ SCOTLAND are back on the big stage, the last of the four Home Nations to qualify for a major tournament finals in the 21st century - although, typically, they did it in a torturous manner, beating both Israel and Serbia in the playoffs on penalties. Still, the record books will show that Scotland were at these finals - and, after an absence of 22 years, the additional 12-month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic has only further heightened the excitement north of the border. The Tartan Army has been advised not to travel to London for the second group game at Wembley - but it is almost certain that some will fail to heed that advice - and, in fairness, the Scots will travel with hopes of causing an upset. For, it is easy to see how this Scotland outfit succeeded where so many others have failed over the last couple of decades - David Marshall is a fine custodian who is already a Scottish legend for his shootout heroics - while, at left-back Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney are both among the best Scottish talent from any generation. The midfield carries some goal threat from John McGinn, Ryan Christie and Scott McTominay - but, then they have to pitch in, since Scotland are far from prolific up front. That likely explains why Steve Clarke's charges end up being involved in so many tight matches - and, so to have any chance, a positive result against the Czech Republic in the first match at Hampden Park will be key.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

➡️ CZECH REPUBLIC • FIFA ranking 40 • Odds 125/1
Head coach Jaroslav Šilhavý (since September 2018)   
Qualification Group A runners-up (W5 D0 L3 F13 A11)
Warm-up matches L0-4 v Italy, W3-1 v Albania
Best performance Winners (1976, as Czechoslovakia); Runners-up (1996, as Czech Republic)
▪️ CZECH REPUBLIC historically save their better performances for the Euros, rather than World Cups - famous winners as Czechoslovakia in 1976, they have never missed out on the European Championships since the Velvet Divorce from Slovakia in 1993 - and yet have only made it to one World Cup when they failed at the Group Stage in 2006. The Czechs have largely happier memories of playing a major tournament finals in England with the delay to this edition making it 25 years since their Karel Poborsky-inspired run to the Euro 96 Final. Sadly, for Czech fans, this current team is nowhere near as talented as that one, and their last visit to Wembley in March 2019 finished in them taking a 5-0 tonking in the qualifiers. In fairness, Jaroslav Silhany's side enacted a semblance of revenge by winning the return match in Prague 1-0 - and Czech football appears to be slowly emerging from the doldrums with Matej Vydra, Tomas Soucek, Patrik Schick and Vladimir Coufal all now considered to be important figures for their clubs. Nevertheless, the Czechs sometimes struggle when away from the home comforts of a freshly-poured Pilsner Urquell - and that does not bode well for a team with group matches in Glasgow against Scotland and in London against England.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16


GROUP E
▪️ Matches played in Seville (ESP) and St Petersburg (RUS)
➡️ SPAIN
➡️ SWEDEN
➡️ POLAND
➡️ SLOVAKIA

➡️ SPAIN • FIFA ranking 6 • Odds 8/1
Head coach Luis Enrique (since November 2019)
Qualification Group F winners (W8 D2 L0 F31 A5)
Warm-up matches D0-0 v Portugal, W4-0 v Lithuania
Best performance Winners (1964, 2008, 2012)
▪️ SPAIN have selected no players from Real Madrid for a major tournament for the first time ever with veteran Sergio Ramos considered to be the biggest omission. But, then, Ramos is now 35 - and head coach Luis Enrique is looking to build a new Spanish generation after a slump in performance since their run of three consecutive trophies with a World Cup and two European Championships between 2008 and 2012. Manchester City talents Aymeric Laporte and Ferran Torres appear primed to impress on their major finals debut at both ends of the pitch - although a coronavirus scare forced La Roja into play a scratch team in their final warm-up against Lithuania. Nevertheless, this incident was still less disreputive than the build-up to the last World Cup when coach, Julen Lopetegui, was sacked on the eve of the tournament after his secret talks for a job at Real Madrid were leaked - and even then, the Spanish still made it past the Group Stage.
▪️ Prediction: Runners-up

➡️ SWEDEN • FIFA ranking 18 • Odds 100/1
Head coach Janne Andersson (since June 2016)  
Qualification Group F runners-up (W6 D3 L1 F23 A9)
Warm-up matches W2-0 v Finland, W3-1 v Armenia
Best performance Semi finals (1992)
▪️ SWEDEN and Zlatan Ibrahimovic appeared to be inseparable - even after a self-imposed five-year exile from international football after Euro 2016, the 39-year-old was set for a remarkable comeback until he picked up knee injury last month while playing for AC Milan. In his absence, Alexander Isak, who - at the age of 21 - is young enough to be Ibrahimovic's son, is the main hope but this current Swedish crop is still very much in development under coach Janne Andersson. As such, the Blågult's second and third matches on neutral territory against Slovakia and Poland in St Petersburg more vital to their fate than their opener against Spain in Seville.
▪️ Prediction: Last 16

➡️ POLAND • FIFA ranking 21 • Odds 80/1
Head coach Paulo Sousa (since January 2021)  
Qualification Group G winners (W8 D1 L1 F18 A5)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Russia, D2-2 v Iceland
Best performance Quarter finals (2016)
▪️ POLAND should have done better in recent years considering the goal scoring talent of one of Europe's best forwards, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, now aged 32. Instead, the Poles have disappointed regularly in the Lewandowski era with Group Stage exits in 2012 and 2018, and a failure even to qualify for the World Cups in 2010 and 2014. The appearance in the quarter finals in 2016 remains the only time that the Eagles have been close to getting it together, eliminated by losing on penalties to the eventual winners Portugal - and it would count as something of a surprise if this aging Polish outfit fared better than that.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

➡️ SLOVAKIA • FIFA ranking 36 • Odds 250/1
Head coach Štefan Tarkovič (since October 2020) 
Qualification Path B playoff winners (won 2-1 aet v Northern Ireland)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Bulgaria, D1-1 v Austria
Best performance Last 16 (2016)
▪️ SLOVAKIA have made some progress in recent years, qualifying for back-to-back European Championships - but this current squad looks extremely limited when compared to their Group E opponents, having sneaked to the finals by beating Ireland and then Northern Ireland in the playoffs. Attacking play is a particular problem with likely starting striker Michal Duris having scored just twice in 22 appearances in the Cypriot league. Internazionale defender Milan Skriniar is a worthy successor to Martin Skrtl at the back while Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is capable of pulling off an outstanding performance, though he can also be inconsistent and is strangely injury-prone for a goalkeeper.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

GROUP F
▪️ Matches played in Munich (GER) and Budapest (HUN)
➡️ HUNGARY
➡️ PORTUGAL
➡️ FRANCE
➡️ GERMANY

➡️ HUNGARY • FIFA ranking 37 • Odds 400/1
Head coach Marco Rossi (since June 2018)
Qualification Path A playoff winners (won 2-1 v Iceland)
Warm-up matches W1-0 v Cyprus, D0-0 v Ireland
Best performance Semi finals (1964)
▪️ HUNGARY have an unenviable task in Group F where even a remarkable repeat from Euro 2016 of their 3-3 draw against defending champions Portugal in their opening game will still leave the Magyars with only a slim chance to get through to knockout stage. Powerhouses France and Germany follow the match against the Portuguese - and it is difficult to make a case for Marco Rossi's men against any of their opponents. The instinct then might be to defend but the Hungarians' stronger hand is actually their attack - although they will badly miss RB Leipzig's young diamond Dominik Szoboszlai who misses out with a thigh injury.
▪️ Prediction: Group Stage

➡️ PORTUGAL • FIFA ranking 5 • Odds 8/1
Head coach Fernando Santos (since September 2014)
Qualification Group B runners-up (W5 D2 L1 F22 A6)
Warm-up matches D0-0 v Spain, W4-0 v Israel
Best performance Winners (2016)
▪️ PORTUGAL tasted senior international success for the first time at the European Championships five years ago - and they have since added the 2019 Nations League title for good measure. Of course, almost all of the Portuguese play runs through Cristiano Ronaldo who will be looking to become the competition's all-time leading scorer, a record which he currently shares with Michel Platini. Ronaldo is also only two assists away from Karel Poborsky's Euros record of eight so it might be worth him trying to set up a couple for talented team-mates such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Diogo Jota. At the back, Ruben Dias has been a rock for Manchester City but Joao Cancelo misses out following a positive test for COVID-19 - and, having used up considerable amounts of good fortune in triumphant run in 2016, the Seleção will face a tough title defence from the start, given their Group F opponents.
▪️ Prediction: Quarter finals

➡️ FRANCE • FIFA ranking 2 • Odds 9/2 fav
Head coach Didier Deschamps (since July 2012)
Qualification Group H winners (W8 D1 L1 F25 A6)
Warm-up matches W3-0 v Wales, W3-0 v Bulgaria
Best performance Winners (1984, 2000)
▪️ FRANCE remain favourites to add the European Championships to the World Cup for a second time in 21 years after having done the same by winning both trophies in the same order in 1998 and 2000. Back in 1998, Les Bleus were considered to have won the World Cup without a striker prior to the emergence of David Trezeguet and the redevelopment of Thierry Henry from an out-and-out winger - but current coach Didier Deschamps has no such issues. Kylian Mbappe - still aged just 22 - is joined by Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, and now introduced to Karim Benzema whose period of international exile is over after he was implicated in a blackmail scandal in 2015. N'Golo Kante's man-of-the-match performances in both semi finals and the Final of the Champions League show how well the French defence will be protected - but, despite all of this, there is hope for the rest of Europe. France can be beaten - and were, in the qualifiers for Euro 2020+1, by Turkey who also drew the return match in Paris.
▪️ Prediction: Winners

➡️ GERMANY • FIFA ranking 12 • Odds 8/1
Head coach Joachim Löw (since July 2006) 
Qualification Group C winners (W7 D0 L1 F30 A7)
Warm-up matches D1-1 v Denmark, W7-1 v Latvia
Best performance Winners (1972, 1980, as West Germany); Winners (1996, as Germany)
▪️ GERMANY will look to bid a fond farewell to long-time head coach Joachim Loew after it was confirmed in March that the 61-year-old would leave his post at the end of these European Championships. Loew famously led the Nationalmannschaft to World Cup glory for the first time as a unified nation in 2014 following a series of near misses. But, although the Germans reached the semi finals of Euro 2016, Loew has undoubtedly overseen ever-decreasing returns since then, with a Group Stage exit at the 2018 World Cup and shock home defeat to North Macedonia in the qualifiers for the next World Cup. That result surely reassured the Deutscher Fußball-Bund that it has made the correct decision to bring an end to Loew's tenure of 15 years - and, with the current world champions France and European champions Portugal in their first two games of this tournament, dare we actually write off the Germans this time? It is probably still not wise just yet.
▪️ Prediction: Quarter finals