67 days before the opening game between Germany and Scotland at the home European Championship, national coaches Julian Nagelsmann and Steve Clarke will meet in Düsseldorf.
The coaches and delegates from the 24 qualified national associations will meet in the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia for the “Finalist Workshop” from June 14th to July 14th. You will be informed by the European umbrella organization UEFA and the national organizing committee led by boss Philipp Lahm about the current planning status and concepts of the various tournament areas.
As national coach, Nagelsmann is essentially the host at the event. For the 36-year-old, it is a must in the preparation for the home tournament, which he described as a gift for himself as a coach. Things were different 18 years ago. The world was supposed to be a guest of friends – and of all people, the host was missing. The then national coach Jürgen Klinsmann skipped the workshop of the 32 World Cup participants, which also took place in Düsseldorf in 2006, just a few days after the German national team lost 4-1 in the European Championship test in Florence against Italy.
Klinsmann, a Californian by choice, received heavy criticism at the time for his absence from OC boss Franz Beckenbauer. “That’s an absurdity. As a host coach you have to be there. Everyone treats their area the way they were brought up. He should have appeared here. This is a mandatory appointment, and he doesn’t have that many mandatory appointments,” complained an angry one Beckenbauer 18 years ago. The DFB delegation was led by Klinsmann’s assistant Joachim Löw and team manager Oliver Bierhoff.
Entry in the Golden Book
Nagelsmann even has an official appointment in Düsseldorf on Monday. A DFB delegation led by President Bernd Neuendorf, sports director Rudi Völler, managing director Andreas Rettig and Nagelsmann will be received by Mayor Stephan Keller in the town hall and will be signed in the city’s Golden Book.
At the coaching meeting, the reduction of the EM squad size from 26 to 23 players compared to the EM 2021 and the 2022 World Cup could also be discussed again. Holland’s bond coach Ronald Koeman recently announced a Dutch initiative after the Netherlands’ 1-2 defeat in the European Championship friendly against the DFB team and described Nagelsmann as an ally. “Not being able to choose 26 people is very strange. It’s absurd that you go back to 23. My colleague sees it that way too,” said Koeman.
After the opening game against Scotland, the German team will face Hungary and Switzerland in the European Championship group stage.
