Time to sign off for today – but I’ll see you in about 24 hours, for the Euro 2024 opening ceremony and its first match. Ilkay Gündogan will captain the hosts against Scotland – but can he finally bring his club form to the national side?
The Ukraine team have arrived in Germany, and have been met by thousands of fans at their training base in Wiesbaden.
“I know that some people are tired about the news of the war but we are continuing to fight and we need your support,” said the head coach, Serhiy Rebrov. Ukraine begin their Group E campaign against Romania on Monday.
Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, who gave a match ball to a Ukrainian war veteran, said: “There is still people dying for no reason and we have to stick together. For them it is super difficult, for us it’s obviously extra motivation. We all know who is behind us. We need to show our best performance.”
England’s lavish hotel and training base in Blankenhain was recently used by Germany – and Harry Kane has revealed that Bayern teammate Thomas Müller left him a personal note. “See you out there”? Not quite.
“Tommy said the golf course is great but the weather has not been so good!” the England captain said. “It looks fantastic, the hotel is incredible and to be in Germany is a bit of a home from home.
“The reception I’ve had since I’ve been at Bayern has been incredible,” Kane added. “I’m not saying they want England to win, but I think they have a little soft spot for us – now I’m here – and that’s fantastic.” We’ll see.
“It’s good to see festive Scottish fans in the streets of Munich,” writes Peter Oh. “I wonder, though, if they’ve decided to give the English Garden a wide berth …”
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UK-based readers, start planning your weekend viewing…
Friday (all times BST)
Germany v Scotland (Group A), 8pm ITV
Saturday
Hungary v Switzerland (Group A), 2pm ITV
Spain v Croatia (Group B), 5pm ITV
Italy v Albania (Group B), 8pm BBC
Sunday
Poland v Netherlands (Group D), 2pm BBC
Slovenia v Denmark (Group C), 5pm ITV
Serbia v England (Group C), 8pm ITV
It’s not just Scotland fans living large in Munich today. Stuttgart defender Hiroki Ito has signed for Bayern on a four-year deal, after the club triggered his €30m release clause. The centre-back, who can also play at left-back, is Vincent Kompany’s first signing as Bayern manager.
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In today’s Football Daily: Euro 2024 optimism burns briefly, and Lionel Messi’s neighbour trouble.
Legend has it that in 1992, Denmark’s players strolled off the beach to win the Euros. In 2024, not one but two Netherlands players have had to fly back from holiday to join Ronald Koeman’s injury-hit squad.
Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen was in Mykonos with his girlfriend when he was summoned by Koeman. “I suddenly received a call,” the left-back said on Thursday. “I just had to pack my stuff as quickly as possible and come.”
Even further afield was Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee, who had to head back from Disney World in Florida after earning his first call-up, replacing the injured Brian Brobbey. “When you get the call to leave Disney for the Euros,” Zirkzee posted on Instagram alongside a cheerful selfie.
No major tournament is complete without a team making their debut – and Euro 2024’s only newcomers are Georgia. Having made it through the kindest playoff path, they are outsiders but have a solid spine and ‘Kvaradona’. The last 16 isn’t out of the question, writes Mamuka Kvaratskhelia.
Scotland fans are enjoying themselves in Munich, but one supporter in particular has taken the long road to the Euros. Craig Ferguson has walked 1,000 miles from Glasgow over the last 41 days, raising over £50,000 for mental health charities.
Hundreds of Scottish fans cheered and sprayed beer as Ferguson arrived in Munich’s Marienplatz square. “I’d be lying if I said that this hasn’t been the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “I would not change it for a second. Every last bit of this journey, the good and the bad, has led me here.”
Some more breaking transfer news: Newcastle have signed Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer. It’s the second time Eddie Howe has signed the defender, having brought him to Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2019. Kelly’s contract at the Vitality Stadium was due to expire at the end of June.
Fancy some pre-tourney pics to really kick that Euros fever up a gear? We’re happy to oblige. Here’s Cristiano Ronaldo at the airport in Portugal …
… and Belgium players taking a break from training.
The players’ tunnel at the Allianz Munich Football Arena is ready …
… and so is the Slovakia head coach, Francesco Calzona.
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Why should he start against Serbia on Sunday? “I’ll always give my best for the team, I work hard on and off the ball – but I’m happy to do whatever the manager asks me to do, whether that’s starting or coming off the bench.”
How is the atmosphere in the camp? “It’s a great group, I’ve been part of it for a couple of years now. All the lads are humble, friendly and we’ve welcomed the new players in straight away.
“It’s a special group, we’ve shown that before. The mood is the same as in Qatar; we believe we can win it … we are excited, ready to take on Serbia and win that game.”
Gallagher also credits Mauricio Pochettino with giving him the Chelsea armband and greater responsibility in the team.
He’s asked about former teammate Marc Guéhi – “I couldn’t be happier if he gets to start games, he’s more than ready. He’s very professional, hard-working, a great leader as well.”
What has the season been like for him at Chelsea? “When I’m playing, I’m happy. I just wanted to work as hard as possible to help Chelsea and England as much as I can.”
Thoughts on Pochettino’s departure? “He’s done a lot for me, so I was sad to see him and the coaching staff go. But I’m excited to work with the new manager [Enzo Maresca] … I’m a Chelsea player right now so that’s my focus.”
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Does this feel different to Qatar 2022? “It does, because I never expected to play. I’m in a different position, I’ve developed well as a player, more experience. I’m ready to contribute more, and really looking forward to it.”
Is he competing with Trent Alexander-Arnold for a starting spot? “Trent is a great player, everyone has different strengths. This squad has healthy competition, everyone wants to play but we’ll support each other no matter what.”
Is speculation over his Chelsea future distracting? “I’ve just been focusing on England, this is the most important thing for me, and I just want to start the tournament now.
Conor Gallagher meets the press
Conor Gallagher is about to speak to the media at England’s training base. Stay tuned for updates …
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More on West Ham’s first signing of the Julen Lopetegui era. Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme has arrived from Palmeiras, and says Hammers technical director Tim Steidten flew out to Brazil to persuade him to join. “They presented the project, and both my family and I liked it,” the 18-year-old said. “So, I’m very happy to be signing with this club and hope to contribute as much as possible.”
Some good news for Scotland fans: Hilla, a sealion at Leipzig Zoo, has predicted that Friday’s opener will end in a 1-1 draw, with Scotland taking a surprise lead before Germany hit back. Hilla faces a tough task to match Paul the Octopus, the late cephalopod with impeccable ball knowledge.
Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai and Switzerland defender Silvan Widmer have both spoken to the press before their opening Group A game, where the Magyars will start as favourites.
“We want to go as far as possible,” says Szoboszlai, who is the youngest captain at the tournament. “The team unity is really good, everyone has to go into the tournament with nothing to lose. If we go into it with the right attitude, we can really achieve something great.”
Switzerland look more fragile after an underwhelming qualifying campaign, but Widmer insisted his team are ready to exceed expectations. “Everyone is fired up. The team spirit is really great. We are all ready and can hardly wait. It’s a real unit again, hungry and wanting to give it their all.”
Thanks, Tom. I was buzzing to get the call, thought it was the lads winding me up at first, etc and so on. Let’s start with a look ahead to the tournament’s second game – Hungary v Switzerland in Cologne on Saturday afternoon …
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And with that, Niall McVeigh’s just joined the squad and will take this afternoon’s session. Laters.
The Germany manager, Julian Nagelsmann, has been talking about the expectations on his revitalised hosts before their opener against Scotland tomorrow, reports PA Media. “We have the idea of winning it. If we give it our all, it can happen,” he said.
“There is already the expectation that we will do better than we have in recent years, and our fans are excited to have the tournament on home soil. Now we’re all getting kind of nervous, a little bit,” he added. “I think it’s normal, but it’s good as well, because if you’re kind of nervous, you’ll be focused, on the first game especially.
“The start of the group stage on Friday will be very important for us, but also for the fans. We need a good result.”
A couple of entertaining interviews you may have missed from yesterday: first up, Nick Ames’s sit-down with Sylvinho, the former Arsenal and Barcelona man now in charge of Albania:
While Donald McRae had a nice long chat with 80s indie cult hero and pundit Pat Nevin:
A spot of domestic transfer news: West Ham have signed the 18-year-old Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras on a five-year deal. The teenager will complete his transfer on Friday when the summer transfer window officially opens, subject to international clearance and a work permit.
Guilherme has made 40 senior appearances for Palmeiras, won the Brazilian Série A title, played in the Copa Libertadores and been capped by Brazil at Under-20 level.
The Big England Selection Debates have zoned in around who to possibly stand in for John Stones out of Ezri Konsa or Lewis Dunk (Konsa, for my money) and, of course, that midfield role alongside Declan Rice, about which Jacob Steinberg has written at greater length and with greater insight.
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Efforts are being made to dampen down possible over-reactions to reports that half a million ticketless fans will descend on Germany. According to Sky, Uefa has estimated that around 500,000 are expected at some point over the entirety of the tournament, rather than hundreds of thousands of people roaming city centres at once looking to sniff out touts.
Thanks Barry, and afternoon everyone. It’s Peak Predictions Day today, with sweepstakes and flutters being sized up. And our own Paul Campbell has collated some predictions and previews from fans of all 24 countries, a relatable theme of “we’re not all that really” emanating from many of them.
Handover: Tom Davies is here to take you through the next hour or so, until Niall McVeigh takes up the cudgels of news at 2pm.
Clarke has full squad to choose from
Scotland: Steve Clarke has a full complement of players to choose from ahead of his side’s opening Group A game against Germany in Munich tomorrow night. All 26 players in Scotland’s squad trained at Garmisch-Partenkirchen this morning, with midfielder Ryan Jack, who had missed Tuesday’s session, back in the group.
Although he is not part of the squad after being ruled out with injury, QPR striker Lyndon Dykes has travelled with his teammates in an unspecified Regimental Goat sort of “vibes” role and was watching them being put through their paces from the sideline, wearing a protective boot over his injured foot.
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Edin Terzic leaves Borussia Dortmund
Breaking: The Borussia Dortmund manager, Edin Terzic, has asked the Bundesliga club to terminate his contract with immediate effect and they have agreed to do so. The 41-year-old leaves the club he has supported since he was a child having steered them to the final of last season’s Champions League, where they were beaten by Real Madrid.
Terzic has been the subject of criticism from several of his players in recent weeks, most notably the German defender Mats Hummels, although it is not known if their dispute is related to his decision to leave the club.
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Laporte unlikely to be risked in Spain opener
Spain: Aymeric Laporte has missed Spain training with a muscle problem and looks set to miss his country’s Group B opener against Croatia in Berlin on Saturday. The Al-Nassr centre-back is likely to be replaced by Real Madrid’s Nacho Fernandez, who will partner Robin Le Normand in the heart of the Spanish defence.
AC Milan: The Italian side have announced that Paulo Fonseca will be their new head coach and will take over from Stefano Pioli. The 51-year-old Portuguese is a former boss of Shakhtar Donetsk, Lille and Roma, among other clubs and was this close to taking over at Tottenham Hotspur three years ago.
The Guardian Football Weekly Daily podcast: A man of discernment and impeccable taste, Georgia captain Guram Kashia recently revealed that he is an avid listener to the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast and never misses an episode. On the eve of his nation’s first ever major tournament, Guram and all our other listeners will be delighted to hear that we’re going daily throughout the Euros.
We’ll be recording shortly after the end of each day’s final match, looking back on the action, previewing the games ahead and covering any other talking points that crop up. You can catch up on our three preview shows by clicking on this link and if you’re not already a subscriber, take a long, hard look in the nearest mirror and then sign up in all the usual podcast places.
Our writers' predictions for Euro 2024
The Guardian’s crack team of football writers on the ground in Germany have submitted their predictions for the tournament and in what can only be described as a genuinely massive boost to England’s chances, not a single one of them thinks Gareth Southgate’s team will win it. Read on …
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VAR decisions to be explained on stadium screens
Refereeing at Euro 2024: Last month, Uefa announced that only team captains will be allowed to speak to referees during Euro 2024 matches if they feel a decision has gone against them unfairly. Uefa have also decreed that any other player who approaches match officials to complain about decisions will be cautioned.
Now it has been revealed that match officials will explain decisions made by video assistant referees to crowds in the stadium through the medium of the big screens throughout the tournament.
“This is something new and I think it’s very, very, very interesting,” said Uefa’s managing director for refereeing Roberto Rosetti. “So we want to give, after the opinion of VAR, a technical explanation for the public. In live, simultaneously, the Uefa expert will prepare the explanation, a technical explanation about what happened in the specific situation.
“For example, [if after an] on-field review, the referee awards a penalty for handball, [you might see]: ‘Technical explanation: Germany number nine touched the ball with his left arm in an unnatural position above the shoulder and making his body bigger’.”
What could possibly go wrong?
Stones due in England training today
England: It has been reported that John Stones has recovered from the bug that kept him out of training and confined to his hotel room yesterday. The Manchester City defender will take part in England training this morning.
Germany: Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic has been ruled out of Germany’s Euro 2024 squad after coming down with tonsillitis and has been replaced by Borussia Dortmund midfielder Emre Can, who benefits from the youngster’s rotten luck.
We wanted another No6 in the squad and we decided to nominate Emre Can,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. “He was instantly excited and said he was ready to join the team. We wanted a player in the squad who has played a lot of matches and who knows how to handle pressure. He fits the profile and we can now use him.”
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Germany: Ilkay Gundogan will lead out the Germany side to face Scotland in tomorrow night’s tournament opener and has said it is a huge privilege to skipper the three-times European champions as they begin their latest campaign on home soil in Munich tomorrow.
“It’s a huge honour, a huge privilege to be captain,” said the Barcelona midfielder. “I have experienced an awful lot in my career, lots of great times but also lots of difficult times. I kind of know what it takes to be successful. All I can do is lead from the front, both on and off the pitch. I think the people of Germany – not just the fans – deserve some success.
“We know it’ll be a tough game against Scotland. They have a lot of quality, lots of stars from the Premier League, so it’s going to be a challenge, but we are confident. We’re very well set up, full of quality and there’s lots of potential in the squad; we just have to deliver now. We haven’t done ourselves justice in recent tournaments.
“We hope this time that we benefit somewhat from the euphoria in our home country and the support of the fans, and that this carries us along. But we know we first have to earn the trust of our fans on the pitch. If we do, I think we will go a long way. Playing a [tournament] in your own country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so obviously it feels really special.”
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Footballers’ union starts legal action against Fifa
The international footballers’ union Fifpro has started legal action against Fifa over the expanded men’s Club World Cup. Fifpro said its Europe member unions, led by England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and its French counterpart, had on Thursday submitted a legal claim with the Brussels court of commerce.
The Netherlands: Having lost midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners to injury on Monday, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman announced he would only be calling up one replacement in the form of Ian Maatsen, who spent the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund from his parent club Chelsea.
Koeman’s decision meant the Dutch had a vacant spot in their squad but the manager has since had a change of heart and called up Joshua Zirkzee, who has cut short a holiday to Disney World in Florida to travel to Germany. The uncapped 23-year-old plays as a striker and scored 13 goals for Serie A side Bologna last season. He is expected to join up with his teammates in Wolfsburg today ahead of their opener against Poland on Sunday afternoon.
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England: The Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, has insisted the organisation has a succession plan in place for the possible departure of Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024 but was coy when asked about the details. David Hytner reports from Blankenhain …
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England: The Football Association has funded a special unit within the British police to help them prosecute anyone who abuses England’s players on social media. David Hytner reports from Blankenhain …
The Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour believes Scotland are well equipped to defy the odds and spoil Germany’s European Championship party when the tournament gets under way in Munich tomorrow night. Ewan Murray reports from Garmisch-Partenkirchen …
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Team guides part 21: the Czech Republic … Jaroslav Silhavy’s abrupt departure moments after the Czechs had secured qualification gave Ivan Hasek limited preparation but the Tomas Soucek-led Czechs will be dangerous, writes Martin Vait.
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Preamble
The excitement continues to build and with just one day to go before Euro 2024 kicks off, we’ll here to keep you posted on all the pre-tournament news that’s fit to print and plenty more that almost certainly is not.
Last night it was revealed that John Stones, the only centre-half in the England squad with Big Tournament experience, has been laid low with what i9s believed to be a sickness bug and is being confined to his quarters at the Weimarer Land Spa and Golf resort in Blankenhain, in order to prevent the illness from spreading through the camp.
Stones missed England training yesterday but could be back on the grass training as early as today. In the unlikely event he fails to recover in time for England’s tournament opener against Serbia on Sunday, Brighton defender Lewis Dunk is likely to deputise.
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