Every match day morning we look back at the past and the coming European Championship, give lessons in European football clichés and let a colleague from abroad take a look at this country. You will also receive these texts as “The Summer Mail” by email in the morning if you subscribe to our “What now?” newsletter here.
The scene of the previous day
This sentence after the game: “The feeling is getting better and better,” said DFB captain İlkay Gündoğan. A sentence that perhaps scares Germany’s European Championship rivals even more than the 2-0 win against Hungary. Not everything was perfect in the second preliminary round match, but the German team is in the round of 16 early. And it is clear that things are starting to mesh together again in the national team, developing. For the first time in eight years. Gündoğan set up the first goal and scored the second himself. He, who always had a hard time in the national team, became a true captain in this game at the latest, writes my colleague Oliver Fritsch. It’s best not to plan too much in the next three weeks.
The other results:
Croatia – Albania 2:2
Scotland – Switzerland 1:1
The game of the day
Spain against Italy (9 p.m., ZDF), far too good for a preliminary round match. Spain’s national coach Luis de la Fuente even sees it as an “early final”. The French, English and now also the Germans would probably disagree. But games between the two teams can’t be bad. Here the Spaniards, who can never get enough of the ball. There the Italians, tactically clever and savvy. All just clichés? Let’s listen to Luciano Spalletti: “We’ll be dressed by Armani,” said the Italian coach. “We’ll go into the game well dressed and ready to get dirty.” And then mom has to do the washing again.
The other games:
Slovenia – Serbia (3pm, Magenta)
Denmark – England (6pm, ZDF)
Who will be important today?
Harry Kane. England is worried about its captain before the match against Denmark. Because he’s playing, but somehow he’s not. In the match against Serbia, Kane only touched the ball twice in the first half. Ball boys on the sidelines have more. But that’s not just Kane’s fault. The striker was basically banned from playing by his coach Gareth Southgate, and was told to wait up front for balls that didn’t come. Kane’s highly talented teammate Phil Foden from Manchester City is also said to be holding back in the England shirt. In England, the coach is therefore accused of playing too cautiously, of squandering his team’s talent. A bit like displaying England’s crown jewels in the boiler room.
Phrase of the day
“A phoned shot”
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(A telephoned shot, Italian)
A shot that flies weakly and predictably towards the goal, even calling the goalkeeper to inform him of its arrival. It’s similar to the German coach’s saying “The pass was in the newspaper”. We’re waiting for WhatsApp headers or something with TikTok.
Who is already European Champion?
England, in Quidditch. You remember, this wizarding sport that Harry Potter plays. Muggles play it without a flying broom, which at least significantly reduces the risk of injury. The Golden Snitch doesn’t have wings, but is just a tennis ball stuck in a kind of sock, but the players take it seriously, always having a PVC pole clamped between their legs. The English won the final against Germany at the last European Championships in 2022 in Limerick, Ireland, 160 to 140. But only because there are no penalty shootouts in Quidditch.
What was the quote of the day?
“I don’t think we would have won a game like that in November.”
(Julian Nagelsmann after the 2-0 win against Hungary. And that’s probably not just because of the weather.)
Every match day morning we look back at the past and the coming European Championship, give lessons in European football clichés and let a colleague from abroad take a look at this country. You will also receive these texts as “The Summer Mail” by email in the morning if you subscribe to our “What now?” newsletter here.
This sentence after the game: “The feeling is getting better and better,” said DFB captain İlkay Gündoğan. A sentence that perhaps scares Germany’s European Championship rivals even more than the 2-0 win against Hungary. Not everything was perfect in the second preliminary round match, but the German team is in the round of 16 early. And it is clear that things are starting to mesh together again in the national team, developing. For the first time in eight years. Gündoğan set up the first goal and scored the second himself. He, who always had a hard time in the national team, became a true captain in this game at the latest, writes my colleague Oliver Fritsch. It’s best not to plan too much in the next three weeks.
