England head coach, Gareth Southgate, has insisted his team must be ‘exceptional’ to break their 58-year drought of major tournament titles as they launch their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday.
Facing the pressure of being one of the tournament favorites, Southgate is determined to guide a talented generation to glory.
England supporters, tens of thousands strong, have arrived in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, eager for a standout performance following a surprising 1-0 loss to Iceland in their final warm-up match.
England seeks redemption after their Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy at Wembley.
Under Southgate, they’ve come close in two World Cups, and the coach acknowledges this might be his last chance for major tournament success.
Impressive opening wins from Germany and Spain illustrate the challenging path ahead for England.
“There are a lot of good teams in this tournament. We have to be exceptional to progress through the group and have the opportunity to go further,” said Southgate in his pre-match press conference.
“Our focus is to qualify from the group. When you’re trying to achieve exceptional things you have to break it down into chunks. Our first priority is to get through the group and work from there.”
England captain Harry Kane, despite a remarkable scoring record at both club and international levels, has yet to win a major trophy.
“Winning a trophy for your country would be the pinnacle of every career,” said Kane, who netted 44 goals in his debut season at Bayern Munich.
“It hasn’t quite happened yet but it makes me more determined and hungry to go out and do that, starting with this summer. We have the opportunity to go out and do that and I’m looking forward to trying to make that happen.”
England is expected to advance smoothly through Group C, which also features Denmark and Slovenia, who face off earlier on Sunday in Stuttgart.
Southgate should have little to fear based on Serbia’s qualifying performance. Dragan Stojkovic’s team won only four of their eight qualifiers, losing twice to Hungary and drawing twice with Bulgaria.
However, Serbia boasts a prolific striker in Aleksandar Mitrovic, known to Premier League fans from his stints with Newcastle United and Fulham.
Mitrovic has scored 40 goals in 43 games since joining Saudi side Al Hilal, contributing to an unbeaten domestic treble.
“He’s an outstanding goalscorer,” said Southgate. “We have to be ready to deal with some exceptional players across the pitch.”
Serbia coach Stojkovic recognizes the challenge his team faces but asserts that England must prove their status as pre-tournament favorites on the field.
“The team that tries to be the champion of Europe,” said Stojkovic regarding England. “They have to do it on the pitch. You can say this or that and make all kind of forecasts, but all that has to be shown on the field to prove yourselves.”
The match has been declared “high risk” by German police, marking the first significant test for tournament security forces. Fans will only have access to reduced-strength beer at the Arena AufSchalke.
England’s opening game at Euro 2016 against Russia was marred by clashes between hooligans, and the Euro 2020 final saw chaotic scenes as ticketless fans stormed Wembley entrances.
Hooliganism has also been a recurring issue at Serbian matches. Both managers urged fans to enjoy what Southgate called a “carnival of football.”
Stojkovic added, “Football is something special for people to enjoy and I’m sure both sides will be very happy to be at the stadium.”
Sunday’s first game features the Netherlands against Poland in Hamburg in Group D.
On Saturday, reigning champions Italy began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Albania in Dortmund, despite conceding the fastest goal in tournament history, scored after just 23 seconds.
Spain triumphed 3-0 over Croatia in Berlin in Group B, while Switzerland defeated Hungary 3-1 in Cologne in Group A.
