In Group F, Germany faces defending champions Portugal, world champions France and Hungary – the group of superstars! Sky looks at the squad, coach, successes and chances of the German group.
FRANCE
TRAINER
Didier Deschamps – The 52-year-old, who previously looked after Monaco, Juventus and Marseille, became only the third person to become world champion both as a player and as a coach after Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer.
Deschamps has transformed Les Bleus into a closed unit, but he has nevertheless decided to deviate a little from his tried and tested formula and to get Karim Benzema out of international oblivion.
France has reached the finals of the last two major international tournaments. The current world champion will also proclaim no small goal in 2021.
Not many opponents have the same quality and depth in every position. For this reason, Deschamps did not want to stand in the way of Aymeric Laporte when he decided for Spain and against France. The Manchester City defensive star has both nationalities.
FRAMEWORK
goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur); Mike Maignan (OSC Lille); Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille)
Defense: Lucas Digne (Everton FC); Leo Dubois (Olympique Lyon); Lucas Hernandez (FC Bayern); Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain); Jules Kounde (FC Sevilla); Clement Lenglet (FC Barcelona); Benjamin Pavard (FC Bayern); Raphael Varane (Real Madrid); Kurt Zouma (Chelsea FC)
midfield: Ngolo Kante (FC Chelsea); Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid); Paul Pogba (Manchester United); Adrien Rabiot (Juventus); Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham Hotspur); Corentin Tolisso (FC Bayern)
attack: Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco); Karim Benzema (Real Madrid); Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern); Ousmane Dembele (FC Barcelona); Olivier Giroud (FC Chelsea); Antoine Griezmann (FC Barcelona); Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain); Marcus Thuram (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
EM SUCCESSES
- European champion (1984, 2000), finalist (2016)
GAME SCHEDULE
- Tuesday June 15th: France – Germany (Munich – kick-off: 9 p.m.)
- Saturday June 19: Hungary – France (Budapest – kick-off: 3 p.m.)
- Wednesday 23 June: Portugal – France (Budapest – kick-off: 8 p.m.)
PLAYERS IN FOCUS
Kylian Mbappe – France have match winners everywhere you look but the Paris Saint-Germain striker is poised to be among the contenders for the player of the tournament again after starring in Russia three years ago. The 22-year-old is in sensational form this season and has scored 37 goals and provided ten assists in all competitions.
After winning the World Cup convincingly, the European opponents fear that the French team with Mbappe at the top has not yet reached its peak.
GERMANY
TRAINER
Joachim Löw – The outgoing coach wants to end his 15-year term in style. The 61-year-old led Germany to victory in the 2014 World Cup and will leave his post this summer and be replaced by Hansi Flick.
Löw has nominated an experienced squad and ordered Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels back into the national team. They have to get going in the opening game against France after they failed so spectacularly at the 2018 World Cup and later had a disappointing first season in the Nations League.
Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Manuel Neuer are still there, but a younger generation has grown up, led by Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
FRAMEWORK
goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern), Bernd Leno (FC Arsenal), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Defense: Matthias Ginter (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Antonio Rüdiger (FC Chelsea), Robin Gosens (Atalanta Bergamo), Christian Günter (SC Freiburg), Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig), Robin Koch (Leeds United), Niklas Süle (FC Bayern)
midfield: lkay Gündogan (Manchester City), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern), Thomas Müller (FC Bayern), Jamal Musiala (FC Bayern), Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern), Leon Goretzka (FC Bayern), Kai Havertz (FC Chelsea), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Leroy Sane (FC Bayern), Florian Neuhaus (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
attack: Timo Werner (FC Chelsea), Kevin Volland (AS Monaco)
EM SUCCESSES
- European champion (1972, 1980, 1996), finalist (1976, 1992, 2008)
GAME SCHEDULE
- Tuesday June 15: France – Germany (Munich – kick-off: 9 p.m.)
- Saturday, June 19: Portugal – Germany (Munich – kick-off: 6 p.m.)
- Wednesday June 23rd: Germany – Hungary (Munich – kick-off: 9 p.m.)
PLAYERS IN FOCUS
Joshua Kimmich – The midfielder of FC Bayern was only 21 years old when he was in the starting eleven for the semi-finals of the German national team in France and was elected to the top eleven of the 2016 European Championship.
Since then he has grown into one of the best sixes in the world, and his strong leadership skills will be the foundation for any further success for the German team this summer. The 26-year-old has contributed 14 assists in all club-level competitions and scored six goals this season.
HUNGARY
TRAINER
Marco Rossi – In the 1990s, the 56-year-old played for the Italian clubs Brescia Calcio and Sampdoria Genoa before he then pushed a coaching career in Slovakia and Hungary. In June 2018 he replaced George Leekens as coach of the national team after he failed to qualify the Hungarians for the eighth World Cup in a row.
Despite a group that nobody would want and the injury-related absence of star player Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary are calmly hoping to surprise against at least one of their favorite group opponents. Rossi showed an ascending form with his team up to the preparation games, only one of eleven games before said preparation was lost.
Hungary’s chances may be almost written off by the spectators and their participation was only secured by passing the play-offs of the Nations League – nevertheless it can be an advantage that they play two of their group games in the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
FRAMEWORK
Goalkeeper. Ádám Bogdán (Ferencváros), Dénes Dibusz (Ferencváros), Péter Gulácsi (Leipzig)
Defense: Bendegúz Bolla (Fehérvár), Endre Botka (Ferencváros), Attila Fiola (Fehérvár), Ákos Kecskés (Lugano), Ádám Lang (Omonoia), Gergő Lovrencsics (Ferencváros), Willi Orbán (Leipzig), Attila Szalai (Fenerbahçe)
Midfield: Tamás Cseri (Mezőkövesd), Dániel Gazdag (Budapest Honvéd), Filip Holender (Partizan), László Kleinheisler (Osijek), Ádám Nagy (Bristol City), Loïc Négo (Fehérvár), Ándras Schäfer (Dunajská Streda), Dávid Sigér (Ferencváros)
Attack: János Hahn (Paks), Nemanja Nikolić (Fehérvár), Roland Sallai (Freiburg), Szabolcs Schön (Dallas), Ádám Szalai (Mainz), Kevin Varga (Kasımpaşa), Roland Varga (MTK Budapest)
EM SUCCESSES
- Third place (1964), fourth place (1972), round of 16 (2016)
GAME SCHEDULE
- Tuesday June 15th: Hungary – Portugal (Budapest – kick-off: 5 p.m.)
- Saturday June 19th: Hungary – France (Budapest – kick-off: 2 p.m.)
- Wednesday 23 June: Germany – Hungary (Munich – kick-off: 8 p.m.)
PLAYERS IN FOCUS
Adam Szalai – RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is expected to be busy throughout the group stage, but in the absence of Szoboszlai – who was voted best player in the Austrian Bundesliga last season – the focus within the team will be on the 33-year-old captain Szalai lie.
The Mainz striker has scored 23 goals in 70 international matches, but his four goals in 20 club appearances hardly arouse self-confidence in a team that is considered to be the “whipping boy” of group A death for most people.
PORTUGAL
TRAINER
Fernando Santos – The 66-year-old has had some successes with Porto, including the 1999 national title, followed by several triumphs at the Taca de Portugal.
Santos coached Greece when they reached the quarter-finals of EURO 2012 and the second round of the World Cup two years later, but his main success was in Portugal. After leading the Portuguese to the title at EURO 2016, he also secured his country the first Nations League title in 2019.
Portugal are trying to match the Spanish team from 2012 and defend the European title at this EURO. Curiously, the team managed to play all three group games when they won the title, and only in the semi-finals were they able to win a game in regular time – before that, extra time was necessary to beat Croatia and against Poland they even had to go to penalties. You were the surprising winner back then and despite the demanding group you will dream big this year too.
FRAMEWORK
Goalkeeper: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Rui Patrício (Wolves), Rui Silva (Granada)
Defense: João Cancelo (Manchester City), Nélson Semedo (Wolves), José Fonte (LOSC Lille), Pepe (Porto), Rúben Dias (Manchester City), Nuno Mendes (Sporting CP), Raphael Guerreiro (Dortmund)
midfield: Danilo Pereira (Paris), João Palhinha (Sporting CP), Rúben Neves (Wolves), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), João Moutinho (Wolves), Renato Sanches (LOSC Lille), Sérgio Oliveira (Porto), William Carvalho (Real Betis)
attack: Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting CP), André Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Gonçalo Guedes (Valencia), João Félix (Atlético Madrid), Rafa Silva (Benfica )
EM SUCCESSES
- European Champion (2016), Finalist (2004)
GAME SCHEDULE
- Tuesday June 15: Hungary – Portugal (Budapest – kick-off: 5 p.m.)
- Saturday June 19th: Portugal – Germany (Munich – kick-off: 5 p.m.)
- Wednesday June 23rd: Portugal – France (Budapest – kick-off: 8 p.m.)
PLAYERS IN FOCUS
Cristiano Ronaldo – Who else? With 103 goals scored for Portugal, Ronaldo wants to become the best national team scorer of all time, Ali Daei’s 109 goals for Iran are the next goal. The Juventus striker said in 2019: “All records have to be broken and I will break this record.”
Ronaldo was Portugal’s talisman for many years, but now he has a talented team around him and can support and shape the next generation of stars. Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias and Diogo Jota will all work to ensure that Ronaldo is part of a successful Portuguese team after being injured in the 2016 final against France.
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