European Football Championships | Who will win the championship, Mika Nurmela? “It’s boring to say”

It is said about value competitions that they are a bubble-like environment from which everything else is excluded. What is it like to coach in such an environment?

Of course, there is no such bubble as there was in the previous European Championships [koronarajoitteet]. We were isolated from the outside world for 32 days. Now the players will definitely be able to walk to the city and meet their families.

From a coaching point of view, it is important that everyone is in good shape mentally and physically. Conflicts must be avoided. Cultures are different, but I think the six weeks of close togetherness will be taken into account when the team is selected.

If you remember the French group that Didier Deschamps selected for the 2018 World Championships, when Karim Benzema was left out. It was a clear choice that he didn’t want two star forwards competing for playing time when he had already decided that Olivier Giroud plays.

Which EC tournament is your favorite over the years?

1992 and the Danish championship are perhaps the most memorable competitions. They came to the games through the back door, and there’s also the equation that the head coach Richard Möller from Nielsen later became Finland’s head coach. Denmark’s second coach Viggo Jensen was my coach in Malmö. It’s the nicest story.

The upcoming European Championships will be played in Germany. The host team has lived turbulent years. Is hosting the tournament an advantage for Germany or does it create extra pressure?

Now there are emerging signs that Germany is in good shape. Toni Kroos came back to the national team, so I guess he also thinks that now there is a real chance to succeed. Home matches are a unique event and all games are home matches for Germany. They are under a magnifying glass, but if the game starts to flow a little bit, the advantage is huge. The advantage increases the further you go.

Which countries are the pre-tournament favorites in your papers?

I consider Germany one of my favorites because of the home advantage. France, of course, but there are many of the world’s best players there. And England.

There are really good options for each of the top six places, but the defense, especially the top players, is a question mark for England. The Portuguese team also has a lot of quality. It’s boring to say Germany, France, England and Portugal. However, you can easily see which teams have the best players in Europe.

Usually there is always a surprise in the tournament. In 2021 it was Denmark, in 2016 Wales, in 2008 Russia and in 2004 it was Greece, which reached the sensational championship. Which country will surprise you this summer?

We started the rise of Greece. They went on to lose to us 5–1 (September 5, 2001) and that’s when they started to rise. Hard to say. Would it be Austria or Switzerland? Both have quality players. Holland can beat anyone on a good day, but without Frenkie De Jong Holland is not enough.

Which players should you keep an eye on?

After all, we’ve all seen a lot of Leverkusen games, so Florian Wirtz follow me. Of course also from England Jude Bellingham. They are the big players this season.

A record number of special situation goals in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The same trend has continued in value tournaments since then. In the previous European Championships, 20 percent of the goals were scored from special situations (excluding penalty kicks). Are special situations even more important now?

The teams are able to practice special situations before and during the games. For gamers, it can be a matter of concentration. We think that that could be the place where the goal is made. That way, the balls that are given can also be of better quality. Maybe the player concentrates on the corner kick more than in some league games.

What kind of gaming trends do you expect to see in Germany?

The prize competitions are a small sample of gaming trends. Playing is also often a little more cautious. In the bigger picture, however, value competitions go along with the evolution of football. We’re going faster all the time, and that’s when even more skilled players are needed.

Ball control is important and in games with small margins between even teams, the changes in situations are always emphasized. How do you react to losing the ball, how do you react when you win the ball. They have always been and still are important steps in the game.