For some big names, this summer’s tournament is a chance to bow out on a colossal high, while for others it’s about far more than football.
The wait is almost over. Euro 2024 will finally get under way on Friday, when Germany and Scotland face off in Munich in the opening game of perhaps the most wide-open edition in recent memory.
England and France are obviously the top two contenders in most people’s eyes, but Portugal, Spain and Belgium have some serious talent at their disposal. Defending champions Italy have yet to quite click under Luciano Spalletti but tournament hosts Germany seem to be slowly but surely moving in the right direction again thanks to Julian Nagelsmann, while Netherlands look like an attractive outside bet.
All things considered, Euro 2024 has the makings of a fascinating spectacle, and not just because of the wide variety of teams set to challenge for the title. There are also several other storylines that will be well worth following over the next four weeks…
Amazing atmosphere
After the ridiculous decision to stage Euro 2020 games in several different countries, resulting in squads racking up an offensive amount of air miles and fans having to fork out a fortune to follow their teams, we once again (and maybe for the final time) have a tournament staged in one country.
In Germany, we also have an ideal host nation, at least from a sporting perspective. The quality of the stadiums is fantastic. Not one has a capacity of less than 46,000 – and they should generate amazing atmospheres for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, Germany is centrally located within Europe and, thus, easily accessible to most visiting supporters. Secondly, Germany boasts a fantastic footballing culture. Even the neutrals in attendance will make their voices heard during the games.
There’s obviously no way of predicting exactly how things will pan out ,but if Euro 2024 is anything like the 2006 World Cup, we’re set for a terrific tournament that captures the imagination not only of the host nation, but also the entire sporting world.
