The German national team have kicked off the final stage of their preparation for EURO 2024 after completing the first day of their training camp in Thuringia on Sunday. The players, along with head coach Julian Nagelsmann, will reside at the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land in Blankenhain until 31st May, where they’ll focus on tying up any loose ends prior to the summer’s tournament.
The resort, which will also function as a UEFA Team Base Camp during this year’s EUROs, is situated around 30 kilometres from the federal state's capital of Erfurt. The Germany squad will be able to make use of the hotel’s own training pitches and facilities during their stay. The national side’s management team had considered using a number of other locations for their training camp, but opted for the resort in Thuringia.
Bayer Leverkusen’s trio of Robert Andrich, Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz will arrive at a later date after winning the DFB-Pokal final in Berlin on Saturday night, as will captain Ilkay Gündogan and Marc-André ter Stegen, who were in action on Sunday for FC Barcelona. Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger are set to face Borussia Dortmund’s Niclas Füllkrug and Nico Schlotterbeck in the Champions League final on 1st June and will also meet up with the national team later on. Manuel Neuer has an infection and hasn’t arrived yet. U21 internationals Brajan Gruda and Rocco Reitz will be part of the training camp squad.
Völler: "We’re looking forward to meeting the fans in Thuringia"
“The EUROs should not be confined to the ten host cities, but should instead encompass the entirety of Germany. It will be a European Championships for everyone. For that reason, we knew from the beginning that we also wanted to complete our preparations for the tournament in our own country. We made the conscious decision to take the national team to the east of Germany, before moving into our accommodation in the south of the country. We looking forward to meeting the fans in Thuringia,” explained director of the Germany men’s national team Rudi Völler.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann added: "Weimarer Land provides us with the optimal conditions we need to prepare for hosting the EUROs on home soil. We found the resort incredibly impressive due to its excellent on-site training pitches and recovery facilities, as well as the overall infrastructure. We’ll also be able to use our time at Weimarer Land to create a positive atmosphere within the team away from the pitch so that we’ve can put our best foot forward as we head into the European Championships. In order for us to progress as far as we can in the tournament, it’s vital that we have a strong cohesion and winning mentality throughout the team."
Tiefensee: "Everyone in Thuringia is thrilled"
"Everyone in Thuringia is thrilled that our national team will be completing their preparations for the EUROs in our region. This will be a great way to kick off the tournament. I know for a fact that the boys will come away from the training camp full of excitement and motivation, which they’ll carry with them into the European Championships," shared Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister of Economics, Science and Digital Society of Thuringia. The 69-year-old is also convinced that the squad’s stay in Thuringia will prove extremely beneficial in inciting passion for the game in the east of Germany. "Leipzig is the only host city for the EUROs in this side of the country. However, with Blankenhain housing the Germany squad for their pre-tournament training camp and acting as the England side’s base camp in the summer, the city will be put on the map as a second hotspot for the game in the east of the country." He is also of the opinion that international attention prior to the tournament will help to ramp up the publicity of the federal state. "We’re aiming to present ourselves as a welcoming sport and tourism destination to a global audience," Tiefensee remarked.
Matthias Grafe, owner of the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land, is also delighted to see the team use their facilities for the training camp: "Our staff and my family are proud to welcome the German national team to Thuringia. After two years of hard work, we have managed to create the perfect conditions for international football to be hosted at Weimarer Land. Our family business functions around collaboration and there’s a special feeling of unity within our team, so we know know exactly what can be achieved when you work together. I wish our boys all the success in the world for the tournament!"
The countdown to Scotland begins
For reasons concerning sustainability, the German national team will remain predominantly in the south of the country for their group stage fixtures, which will take place in Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the ten UEFA EURO host cities have been divided into three regional groups in order to minimise the amount of travelling completed by the participating teams.
The German national team have kicked off the final stage of their preparation for EURO 2024 after completing the first day of their training camp in Thuringia on Sunday. The players, along with head coach Julian Nagelsmann, will reside at the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land in Blankenhain until 31st May, where they’ll focus on tying up any loose ends prior to the summer’s tournament.
The resort, which will also function as a UEFA Team Base Camp during this year’s EUROs, is situated around 30 kilometres from the federal state's capital of Erfurt. The Germany squad will be able to make use of the hotel’s own training pitches and facilities during their stay. The national side’s management team had considered using a number of other locations for their training camp, but opted for the resort in Thuringia.
Bayer Leverkusen’s trio of Robert Andrich, Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz will arrive at a later date after winning the DFB-Pokal final in Berlin on Saturday night, as will captain Ilkay Gündogan and Marc-André ter Stegen, who were in action on Sunday for FC Barcelona. Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger are set to face Borussia Dortmund’s Niclas Füllkrug and Nico Schlotterbeck in the Champions League final on 1st June and will also meet up with the national team later on. Manuel Neuer has an infection and hasn’t arrived yet. U21 internationals Brajan Gruda and Rocco Reitz will be part of the training camp squad.
Völler: "We’re looking forward to meeting the fans in Thuringia"
“The EUROs should not be confined to the ten host cities, but should instead encompass the entirety of Germany. It will be a European Championships for everyone. For that reason, we knew from the beginning that we also wanted to complete our preparations for the tournament in our own country. We made the conscious decision to take the national team to the east of Germany, before moving into our accommodation in the south of the country. We looking forward to meeting the fans in Thuringia,” explained director of the Germany men’s national team Rudi Völler.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann added: "Weimarer Land provides us with the optimal conditions we need to prepare for hosting the EUROs on home soil. We found the resort incredibly impressive due to its excellent on-site training pitches and recovery facilities, as well as the overall infrastructure. We’ll also be able to use our time at Weimarer Land to create a positive atmosphere within the team away from the pitch so that we’ve can put our best foot forward as we head into the European Championships. In order for us to progress as far as we can in the tournament, it’s vital that we have a strong cohesion and winning mentality throughout the team."
Tiefensee: "Everyone in Thuringia is thrilled"
"Everyone in Thuringia is thrilled that our national team will be completing their preparations for the EUROs in our region. This will be a great way to kick off the tournament. I know for a fact that the boys will come away from the training camp full of excitement and motivation, which they’ll carry with them into the European Championships," shared Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister of Economics, Science and Digital Society of Thuringia. The 69-year-old is also convinced that the squad’s stay in Thuringia will prove extremely beneficial in inciting passion for the game in the east of Germany. "Leipzig is the only host city for the EUROs in this side of the country. However, with Blankenhain housing the Germany squad for their pre-tournament training camp and acting as the England side’s base camp in the summer, the city will be put on the map as a second hotspot for the game in the east of the country." He is also of the opinion that international attention prior to the tournament will help to ramp up the publicity of the federal state. "We’re aiming to present ourselves as a welcoming sport and tourism destination to a global audience," Tiefensee remarked.
Matthias Grafe, owner of the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land, is also delighted to see the team use their facilities for the training camp: "Our staff and my family are proud to welcome the German national team to Thuringia. After two years of hard work, we have managed to create the perfect conditions for international football to be hosted at Weimarer Land. Our family business functions around collaboration and there’s a special feeling of unity within our team, so we know know exactly what can be achieved when you work together. I wish our boys all the success in the world for the tournament!"
The countdown to Scotland begins
For reasons concerning sustainability, the German national team will remain predominantly in the south of the country for their group stage fixtures, which will take place in Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the ten UEFA EURO host cities have been divided into three regional groups in order to minimise the amount of travelling completed by the participating teams.
Germany will begin their EUROs journey when they take on Scotland on 14th June (21:00 CEST) at the Allianz Arena in Munich. They will then face off against Hungary on 19th June (18:00 CEST) in Stuttgart, before playing their final group stage game against Switzerland four days later in Frankfurt (21:00 CEST).
