At 02:00 on June 15 (Vietnam time), the two teams Germany and Scotland will play the opening match of EURO 2024. Germany is the host of this year's tournament.
The leader of the "German Tanks" in this tournament is Julian Nagelsmann, the coach who is even younger than captain Manuel Neuer. The 36-year-old strategist and the players have certain concerns.
Therefore, the former Bayern Munich coach encouraged the players to convert that anxiety to positive energy, especially when playing at home.
I think we are a bit nervous but that is an important point, we have to be nervous, Nagelsmann said, There was a bit of a noise at the headquarters, like in the classroom, to shout, Can everyone calm down a little!
I look into the players' eyes and see the faith and the will to win. I want us to believe in ourselves. We have great players, good solidarity, home advantage, we have had great training sessions and a good mentality.
We have everything, just show it on the pitch and that's why confidence is so important.
Nagelsmann himself also felt his own anxiety when sitting in the "hot seat", but was not pessimistic.
Germany have been knocked out of the group stage in the last two World Cups and were knocked out by England in the 1/8 round of EURO 2020, but Nagelsmann does not feel pressured by the ghosts of the past.
I dont want to bring back the past, he said, Where we want to go is more important. We want to be more successful than other teams, so we will try our best. We want to be one of the best teams in this tournament and I'm sure we want to win the championship too."
Regarding the Scotland opponent, Nagelsmann was cautious: They dont have the worlds top stars, but that puts them in danger. They work very hard, have a classic spirit, but not the type of playing and running. They can do it, but they can play football too."
Meanwhile, Scotland coach Steve Clarke said he is not afraid of anyone. "We really respect the home team, they are very strong. They are a really good team. It was a difficult match. One of the signs I have is to respect everyone and not be afraid of anyone, he said.
The Scotland team is participating in the EURO Final Round for the fourth time. In 11 appearances in major tournaments (including 8 appearances in the World Cup), Tartan Army has never advanced past the group stage. But Clarke is very confident.
"Opportunity will be for everyone. For everyone, it's just a match; about how the match plays. Germany wants to win, we want to win, everyone else can enjoy this opportunity.
We have prepared after a long wait to be ready for this. We have worked hard to prepare and hope you will too. Let's see the result on the pitch."
