Germany Confident of Euro 2024 Glory After Resurgence Under Nagelsmann

Germany, the host nation of Euro 2024, is riding a wave of confidence as they prepare to face Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday. After a string of disappointing performances at major tournaments, the Germans are once again optimistic about their chances of success.

Toni Kroos, a veteran of the 2014 World Cup-winning team, declared that "the goal is to win the tournament." He added, "We want to go a lot further and in the dressing room we are very convinced we will achieve that."

This newfound confidence is a stark contrast to the atmosphere nine months ago, when Hansi Flick became the first coach in German history to be sacked after a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Japan. His replacement, Julian Nagelsmann, initially struggled, winning only one of his first four games in charge.

However, Nagelsmann has since turned things around, making 11 changes to the squad and bringing in players from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and surprise runners-up Stuttgart. His most crucial move was recalling Kroos, who had retired from international football in 2021.

Kroos has been instrumental in Germany's resurgence, excelling in what will be his final tournament before retiring from football altogether. He believes that the team's winning mentality comes from experience.

"You can have a winning mentality or belief, you can live it, but it's hard to convey it in conversations," Kroos said. "You have to go through experiences and that's how your belief grows more and more."

Germany has faced challenges along the way, but they have shown resilience in overcoming them. Kroos pointed to the "difficult situations" against Hungary, Switzerland, and Denmark as examples of how the team has developed a stronger mentality.

"We now have a different belief. We are now winning games or at least not losing games that we were clearly losing in the past," Kroos said.

Germany will face their toughest test yet against Spain, the only other team to have won three Euros titles. However, with the confidence they have gained under Nagelsmann, the Germans will be confident of emerging victorious and continuing their journey towards the final in Berlin.

Tags: #Euro2024, #Germany, #Spain, #ToniKroos, #JulianNagelsmann