by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Julian Nagelsmann has shown an admirable determination to attend the draw for the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
After all flights from Munich to Hamburg were canceled due to heavy snowfall, the German coach spontaneously took a car to cover the 800 kilometers from his home near Munich to the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie.
The 36-year-old's courage seemed to be rewarded as the 2024 tournament host enjoyed a manageable Group A next summer to cross swords with Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland.
"It's no death group, but it is a challenging one. Our goal is clear: We want to get to the next round," the former Bayern manager said in the famous concert hall.
Nagelsmann spoke about Hungary as a special challenge and said the encounter against the Swiss "neighbors" is like a derby.
Following the opening game against Scotland on June 14 in Munich, the lately struggling 2014 world champion will meet Hungary on June 19 in Stuttgart and Switzerland in Frankfurt four days later.
The German association sporting director, Rudi Voller, spoke about the importance of "a good start" and showed his optimism about delivering a satisfying performance.
Association president Bernd Neuendorf spoke about the joy of meeting cheerful Scottish fans in the opening game in an attractive group.
European football's governing body UEFA will pay out 331 million Euros among the 24 tournament participants. Each team is to receive nine million as a starting fee while the new European champion is to earn 28 million in total.
The current title holder Italy is facing 2008 and 2012 European champion Spain and the 2022 FIFA World Cup bronze medalist Croatia and Albania, while France, the Netherlands, Austria, and a play-off qualifier complete the second of the assumedly strongest groups.
Voller confirmed two challenging friendlies in March 2024 against France and the Netherlands, followed by two more in June with the opponents yet to be decided.
Despite the change of coaches from Hansi Flick to Nagelsmann in mid-September, the German national team remains stuck in a sportive crisis losing its latest games against Turkey (3-2) and Austria (2-0).
Swiss coach and former German national league midfielder Murat Yakin called Germany a "tournament team" and said the 2024 tournament host is "one of the favorites."
Scotland coach Steve Clarke called it an event to look forward to facing Germany in the opener. "Munich can look forward to many Scottish fans and for us it's to take care not to be overwhelmingly impressed by the atmosphere."
Hungary coach Marco Rossi called it a challenge to play Germany on home soil, "but we are a determined side and try to survive the group. Hungarian football is known for its fighting spirit."
The German team already booked its tournament base in Herzogenaurach in Bavaria on the compound of sports goods manufacturer Adidas. ■
