After a succession of poor performances over the previous few months, pressure on hosts Germany to perform well at Euro 2024 has increased significantly. But, with the nation’s shocking group stage exit from the under-21 European Championship, the pressure increased even more.
Germany’s junior squad, which will be crowned European champions in 2021, had been eager to demonstrate a stronger side than the senior team in recent matches, but on Wednesday, they were defeated 2-0 by England in Georgia, exiting the group stage with just one point from three games.
They also miss out on a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“England were at least one level better than us,” said Germany under-21 coach Antonio Di Salvo. “They have a lot of players with potential and an amazing depth in the squad.
“We had imagined it all differently,” he added.
With the German fans dreading hearing those same words at Euro 2024 all eyes shift to Germany coach Hansi Flick.
His team look nowhere near the level required for next year’s Euros when they will seek redemption for a disappointing five-year run.
Germany drew 3-3 with visiting Ukraine, lost 1-0 to Poland in Warsaw and 2-0 at home to Colombia in friendlies earlier this month, confirming their bad form since before last December’s World Cup first-round elimination in Qatar.
When Flick took over in September 2021 the Germans were in a slump, having been eliminated at the group stage of the 2018 World Cup — at the time their earliest exit in more than 80 years — and lost to England in the last 16 at Euro 2020.