With the smell of bratwurst floating through the air, Germany kicked off its Euro 2024 training camp under blue skies in front of 15,000 fans in the central town of Jena.
Germany are based in Thuringia, part of the former East, for its pre-Euros training camp.
England will be based at the same venue during the tournament itself, while Germany will head south to Herzogenaurach -- the small Bavarian village where clothing giant Adidas is headquartered.
“It gives the team a great feeling that the country is behind us and everyone supports us,” coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Monday.
After disappointing group-stage exits at the last two World Cups and a last-16 elimination by England at the most recent Euros, Germany’s wins over France and the Netherlands in March have boosted optimism ahead of the home tournament.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann speaks to his players during training. | Photo Credit: KARINA HESSLAND/ REUTERS
Germany sporting director Rudi Voeller said the hosts were “burning hot” for the tournament.
“It’s a great opportunity to show ourselves and be approachable. That’s very important.”
Tickets to the training session sold out in minutes.
“We would have liked to go to an even bigger stadium. The demand was unbelievable,” Voeller said Monday.
More than 16,000 people watched a livestream of the training session online.
Three weeks out from the tournament opener against Scotland in Munich, Germany’s training camp started with several members of the squad missing due to club duties, with only 19 of the 27 squad members available.
The injured Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlovic and David Raum did not take part in the full session.
The players stayed afterwards and signed autographs while posing for pictures with fans.
Four players will take part in Saturday’s Champions League final at Wembley -- Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and Antonio Ruediger as well as Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Niclas Fuellkrug.
Bayer Leverkusen players Robert Andrich, Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah, who on Sunday celebrated winning the league and cup double for the first time, will arrive Wednesday.
Captain Ilkay Gundogan and Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona will also arrive later in the week.
Manuel Neuer also missed Monday’s session with a stomach bug.
Nagelsmann called up youngsters Brajan Gruda, 19, and Rocco Reitz, 21, to “help out” the depleted squad during the camp, but they are not expected to be included for the tournament.
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