Berti Vogts and Arsene Wenger: Germany not a favorite at Euro 2024

DFormer national coach Berti Vogts does not count the German national soccer team among the favorites for the home European Championship next summer. “The entire state of the national team and the DFB makes me worried, so we have to wait and see whether there is enough for the title,” the 77-year-old told the “Rheinische Post”: “The favorites for the European Championship are others. France, Spain, England and Italy are further along than us.”

However, the DFB team received “an absolutely feasible group” in the draw, explained Vogts, who led the national team to the European Championship title in England in 1996: “The Scots are always a class weaker when they don’t play on the island . We lost against the Hungarians recently, but Germany should be strong enough at the European Championships. The game against Switzerland should be about winning the group.”

Wenger is also skeptical

At best, the team would have to light a fire right at the start. “A tournament in your own country is always an opportunity. It would be very important for our football to make something of it,” emphasized Vogts. He couldn’t remember “anything being said so badly about our national team. I have to admit that it hurts.” However, at the European Championships, much of what “has gone wrong in recent years can be made up for.”

Former football coach Arsène Wenger also doesn't believe the German team can pull off a really big coup. “For me, Germany is not one of the absolute favorites, but they will play an interesting role,” said the long-time coach of Arsenal FC to the “Editorial Network Germany”.

“It's hard to predict,” Wenger continued, “but with the home advantage, Germany can achieve a lot.” It is important to win the opening game against Scotland on June 14 in Munich, “to build up self-confidence, but also to do so slowly “But a certain euphoria will certainly be sparked throughout the country.”

Wenger, who has been director of development at the world football association FIFA for a good four years, does not necessarily see anything negative in the weak results of recent international matches. “Perhaps it's a good thing for Germany that they haven't been able to cause euphoria recently, because the country probably doesn't expect much and the DFB team can only surprise in a positive way,” said the 74-year-old Frenchman.

National coach Julian Nagelsmann and the DFB team are under a lot of pressure. “But Nagelsmann is able to focus his players on the most important thing because of his personality, his healthy self-confidence and his way of motivating a team,” said Wenger. His favorites for the title are France, England and Portugal.