Sports
‘Belief Has Returned To Germany Ahead Euro 2024’
Germany have regained their self-confidence after a 2-0 win against France last week, three months before hosting Euro 2024, World Cup winner Philipp Lahm told Tidesports source in an interview.
Lahm, who is tournament director for Euro 2024, said the promising performance brought back euphoria in our country because the “German national team played football well and played football passionately”.
In Qatar in 2022, Germany reached a new low when they were eliminated at the group stage of a World Cup for the second time in a row.
Hansi Flick became the first Germany coach in history to be sacked and was replaced by Julian Nagelsmann in September.
In Lyon on Saturday, Nagelsmann appeared to be finally moulding a new, young team, less than three months from the opening match of the tournament against Scotland on June 14.
“(Germany) performed completely differently” against France, Lahm said of the victory that came thanks to a first international goal from Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and a Kai Havertz strike.
“We had an established midfield and of course very, very young, dynamic, attacking players. And of course that brings self-confidence.
“But we can only know for sure over a longer period of time.”
Lahm played every minute in Germany’s run to the semi-finals as hosts of the 2006 World Cup before captaining the side to victory in Brazil eight years later.
As captain of the last world-beating German team, Lahm understands how complex the process of developing a top team can be — and that talent may not be enough.
“Super-talented players like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are still relatively young, but have a lot of experience,” he said.
“They certainly have the talent to raise the German national team to another level, but it’s important everything fits together, that the pieces of the puzzle fit together — and that was certainly the case in 2014.
“Everyone identified with their role and made their skills available to the team.”
Saturday’s victory against France even overshadowed the controversy surrounding the DFB’s decision to ditch long-time kit maker Adidas in favour of Nike, ending a 70-year collaboration with the German sports brand.
“I made 113 international appearances for Germany in Adidas, I played at Bayern Munich in Adidas, I only know the national team in Adidas,” Lahm said.
“When I watched Germany play on TV as a child, it was in Adidas.”
Lahm admitted the move was “a change for us in Germany”, but said: “There must have been serious reasons to change.”
Despite the hope fuelled by Germany’s defeat of France on Saturday, Lahm still named the French, spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, as tournament favourites.
“They have 40 players who are very, very talented. They have a balanced squad,” he said.
“They can always bring players off the bench who would normally be good enough to play from the start.
“But the important thing is that you have a team on the field.”
While predicting a “big football nation” will win, Lahm said he hoped “perhaps there will be a surprise, that a smaller nation will go far in the tournament and will celebrate together with their fans.”
“But as for winning the title? I’m pretty sure it will be a football nation and one of the favourites, one who has won in the past few years.”
The Euro 2024 hosts hope to channel the spirit of the 2006 World Cup which still holds a defining place in the collective German consciousness.
Known as the “summer fairytale”, it was the moment where a unified and modern Germany showcased itself on the world stage.
Just 18 years ago, the tournament seems from a different time, with this year’s event held in a time of global conflicts and uncertainty.
Late in 2023, Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) warned the danger of a terror attack was higher than it has been for a long time.
The attack on a concert in Moscow last Friday by militants linked to the Islamic State group which killed 137 people has prompted new security fears in Germany. Neighbouring France has already raised its security alert to its highest level.
Lahm acknowledged the challenges, but said he hoped the tournament could play a unifying role as the World Cup had done in 2006.
“Safety is the highest priority, right from the start until the end of the tournament,” Lahm said.
“It’s a tournament in challenging times, but I still believe it’s important that we keep coming together.
“In Europe, we always come together to strengthen ourselves, to strengthen our democracy.
“Everyone is warmly welcomed to Germany, especially at this time, when there are many challenges all over the world. (It is important) that people can come together again and celebrate together again.”
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.