Key events
Can gets late Germany call-up
Germany: Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic has been ruled out of Germany’s Euro 2024 squad after coming down with tonsillitis and has been replaced by Borussia Dortmund midfielder Emre Can, who benefits from the youngster’s rotten luck.
We wanted another No6 in the squad and we decided to nominate Emre Can,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. “He was instantly excited and said he was ready to join the team. We wanted a player in the squad who has played a lot of matches and who knows how to handle pressure. He fits the profile and we can now use him.”
Gundogan: “It’s a huge honour to be captain”
Germany: Ilkay Gundogan will lead out the Germany side to face Scotland in tomorrow night’s tournament opener and has said it is a huge privilege to skipper the three-times European champions as they begin their latest campaign on home soil in Munich tomorrow.
“It’s a huge honour, a huge privilege to be captain,” said the Barcelona midfielder. “I have experienced an awful lot in my career, lots of great times but also lots of difficult times. I kind of know what it takes to be successful. All I can do is lead from the front, both on and off the pitch. I think the people of Germany – not just the fans – deserve some success.
“We know it’ll be a tough game against Scotland. They have a lot of quality, lots of stars from the Premier League, so it’s going to be a challenge, but we are confident. We’re very well set up, full of quality and there’s lots of potential in the squad; we just have to deliver now. We haven’t done ourselves justice in recent tournaments.
“We hope this time that we benefit somewhat from the euphoria in our home country and the support of the fans, and that this carries us along. But we know we first have to earn the trust of our fans on the pitch. If we do, I think we will go a long way. Playing a [tournament] in your own country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so obviously it feels really special.”
Footballers’ union starts legal action against Fifa
The international footballers’ union Fifpro has started legal action against Fifa over the expanded men’s Club World Cup. Fifpro said its Europe member unions, led by England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and its French counterpart, had on Thursday submitted a legal claim with the Brussels court of commerce.
The Netherlands: Having lost midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners to injury on Monday, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman announced he would only be calling up one replacement in the form of Ian Maatsen, who spent the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund from his parent club Chelsea.
Koeman’s decision meant the Dutch had a vacant spot in their squad but the manager has since had a change of heart and called up Joshua Zirkzee, who has cut short a holiday to Disney World in Florida to travel to Germany. The uncapped 23-year-old plays as a striker and scored 13 goals for Serie A side Bologna last season. He is expected to join up with his teammates in Wolfsburg today ahead of their opener against Poland on Sunday afternoon.
England: The Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, has insisted the organisation has a succession plan in place for the possible departure of Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024 but was coy when asked about the details. David Hytner reports from Blankenhain …
England: The Football Association has funded a special unit within the British police to help them prosecute anyone who abuses England’s players on social media. David Hytner reports from Blankenhain …
The Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour believes Scotland are well equipped to defy the odds and spoil Germany’s European Championship party when the tournament gets under way in Munich tomorrow night. Ewan Murray reports from Garmisch-Partenkirchen …
Team guides part 21: the Czech Republic … Jaroslav Silhavy’s abrupt departure moments after the Czechs had secured qualification gave Ivan Hasek limited preparation but the Tomas Soucek-led Czechs will be dangerous, writes Martin Vait.
Preamble
The excitement continues to build and with just one day to go before Euro 2024 kicks off, we’ll here to keep you posted on all the pre-tournament news that’s fit to print and plenty more that almost certainly is not.
Last night it was revealed that John Stones, the only centre-half in the England squad with Big Tournament experience, has been laid low with what i9s believed to be a sickness bug and is being confined to his quarters at the Weimarer Land Spa and Golf resort in Blankenhain, in order to prevent the illness from spreading through the camp.
Stones missed England training yesterday but could be back on the grass training as early as today. In the unlikely event he fails to recover in time for England’s tournament opener against Serbia on Sunday, Brighton defender Lewis Dunk is likely to deputise.