The Tartan Army invading Munich and 50,000 Albanians in Dortmund...
at last a proper tournament as Germany prepare to get Euro 2024 underway Hosts Germany will aim to kick off Euro 2024 with a victory over Scotland The summer's tournament has a traditional feel and is all the better for it LISTEN: On It’s All Kicking Off! Why England’s defence could prevent football from coming home By Ian Ladyman Published: 17:30 EDT, 13 June 2024 | Updated: 17:53 EDT, 13 June 2024 e-mail View comments North-east of Munich, towards the end of subway line No 6, the Allianz Arena sat shimmering in the morning sun on Thursday. The home of Bayern Munich , it has for so long stood as a symbol of domestic football power. That red-and-white monopoly — a run of 11 straight Bundesliga titles — was ended by the upstarts from Bayer Leverkusen this year.
As Euro 2024 begins here, the Germany team will try to take their first step towards bucking a rather less palatable trend of their own. Not since 2016 in France have Germany won a knockout game in a major tournament. On Friday night against Scotland, they will begin their endeavours to put that right.
The Scots are, in many ways, the perfect opponents on a night like this. They will bring colour and life and presence. Over the last few days their supporters have been arriving in Bavaria by the thousand.
On Thursday lunchtime, Munich’s pretty Marienplatz was slowly turning blue and white and by mid-afternoon the summer’s first impromptu game.