Euro 2024 LIVE: Latest England news and Germany vs Scotland buildup

The source of initial disillusionment was naturally a decade of precipitous decline, after the cathartic lassoing of der vierte Stern in 2014 – “the fourth star” on Germany’s jersey, woven after their World Cup triumph in Brazil.

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann condemned a “racist” survey published by a public broadcaster that asked participants if they would prefer more white players in the national team.

The midfielder took part in a traditional folk dance called a “schuhplattler” as the players arrived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Steve Clarke’s squad checked into the team hotel before heading off to a local hall, where they met mayor Elisabeth Koch and a typical German band.

As another packed season of club football comes to an end, the European Championship in Germany is fast approaching.

The summer tournament bookends a busy 2023/24 season and one that has seen repeated calls for action regarding fixture congestion and player welfare.

So it is no surprise that several important players are set to miss Euro 2024 through injury, with many others battling to be fit in time for the opening round of group games, which begins on 14 June.

Euro 2024 takes place in Germany with a total of 51 matches hosted in 10 cities over 31 days as the continental champions are decided.

Here, the PA news agency looks at each of the tournament venues.

Völlig losgelöst von der Erde / Schwebt das Raumschiff, völlig schwerelos.

Completely isolated from Earth / The spaceship floats, totally weightless.

So goes the hook of “Major Tom”, the 1980s hit by German popstar Peter Schilling. And if you haven’t heard it yet, you soon will, because as Germany prepares to host Euro 2024, “Major Tom” is poised to be the song of the tournament.

For German fans, it has already become an unofficial anthem of sorts, with the song back in vogue like so much from the 1980s. But to explain its third life, a quick retrospective is required on its first and second lives.

If you missed Trent Alexander Arnold’s performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, picture Marco van Basten volleying the skin off a high ball from a tight angle into the far corner; picture Hakim Ziyech swerving a 60-yard pass onto his teammate’s big toe; picture Lionel Messi’s invisible throughball to slice open Netherlands. Alexander-Arnold did all of that in one night.

Even allowing for a little journalistic hyperbole, and noting that he was up against the plucky but toothless Bosnia in a friendly, this felt significant. After years on the fringes of England’s first XI, we saw the effect of Alexander-Arnold as a No 6, an intriguing solution to Gareth Southgate’s conundrum of who to play alongside Declan Rice behind England’s preferred No 10, Jude Bellingham. Reports this week suggest the manager is seriously considering this trio for the first group game, against Serbia on Sunday.

Europe’s best strikers will be vying for individual honours as well as team success at they aim to top the scoring charts at Euro 2024.

The 24-cap international, who plays his club football in Netherlands with FC Twente, was riding his bike during an individual training programme following a friendly match on Friday, when he apparently fell off and suffered a severe cut to his leg.

Following a medical assessment, the national team decided he would be able to play no part in the upcoming tournament and issued a statement that he would be departing the group – having worn the captain’s armband only a day earlier in the win over Malta.

Portugal won all 10 of their qualifiers but their preparations for the June 14 to July 14 tournament in Germany have been far from perfect with losses to Slovenia and Croatia in recent friendlies.