Germany is preparing to host the 2024 European Football Cup under the influence of strict security measures, as global threats loom. The host team is eager to demonstrate their recent revival on the pitch.
Six weeks before the Paris Olympics, Germany will become the center of the European football world when the host nation takes on Scotland in the opening match in Munich on June 14.
While France, the World Cup runner-up in Qatar 2022, and England are the prominent contenders, Germany has shown a renewed spirit, particularly after their recent friendly victories over France and the Netherlands in March.
The young team coach, Julian Nagelsmann (36 years old), was initially scheduled to leave the German national team after the continental finals. However, due to his confidence in the team he was forming, he signed a contract extending until the 2026 World Cup finals, despite interest from his former club, Bayern Munich, in re-acquiring his services.
German football is currently in a state of euphoria after Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League final, where they will face Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1. Similarly, Bayer Leverkusen, the champions of the German League, have reached the Europa League final, where they will meet Italian club Atalanta on May 22 in Dublin.
Next Thursday, Germany and France will announce their squads of 26 players for the continental tournament, with England set to make their announcement on the 23rd.
Former German defender and tournament director Philipp Lahm said he was looking forward to a “big festival together” but admitted that the tournament would be better if Germany performed well.
The 2024 European Championship will be held three years after the previous tournament, which was postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2021 edition was held in multiple countries across the continent, with Wembley Stadium in London hosting the final match where Italy won the title against England on penalties in a stadium with significantly reduced capacity.
This time, there are no restrictions, and the stadiums are expected to be packed, with approximately 2.7 million fans attending 51 matches in 10 stadiums. The tournament will culminate in the final match at the Olympian Stadium in Berlin on July 14. However, large numbers will also be present outside the stadiums, particularly within the fan zones, as each city has prepared to receive the 12 million fans expected to visit the country.
In an unprecedented step, Germany has invited about 300 security experts from all countries competing in the continental finals to participate in a monitoring project at the International Center for Police Cooperation in the city of Neuss, located in the west of the country.
In addition to officials from Germany, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) will alternate in monitoring the situation on the ground from a central headquarters. This headquarters will be located in a vast meeting room spanning 500 square meters, equipped with 129 computers and a giant 40-square-meter screen.
During the matches, everyone will be on high alert and fully prepared. Police officers will not be granted leave during the continental finals, and Germany will enforce security controls at all nine of its borders.
The French gendarmerie will support the German police through joint patrols, monitoring trains on the railways linking France and Germany, as well as those leading to the stadiums where the French national team plays their matches.
In addition to standard procedures, between 800 and 1,300 police officers will be deployed around the stadiums for each match, depending on the teams playing.
The German army will also monitor the airspace from the National Center for Air Security, located approximately 70 kilometers from the International Center for Police Cooperation.
As Germany prepares to host the 2024 European Football Cup under stringent security measures, football fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating the event.
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